Enhancing Opportunities for Education of Minority Communities

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has awarded more than 37 lakh scholarships under various schemes since 2007-08. As provided in the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, the Ministry is implementing three scholarship schemes detailed below:

Year	(i) Pre-matric Scholarship				(ii) Post-matric Scholarship
	Target	Achievement	Financial Allocation (Rs.in crore)	Utiliz-ation (Rs. in crore)	Target (in lakh)	Achievement (in lakh)	Financial Allocation (Rs.in crore)	Utilization (Rs.in crore)
07-08	Scheme launched in 2008-09				0.75	0.25	60.00	9.63
08-09	3 lakh	5.13 lakh	79.90	62.21	1.25	1.7	69.93	70.63
09-10	15 lakh	17.29 lakh	200.00	202.94	3	3.87	150.00	149.79
10-11	20 lakh	7.41 lakh	450.00	198.97*	4	0.69	265.00	105.28**

* Including advance grants of Rs.117.85 crore, to State/UTs

** Including advance grants of Rs.58.87 crore, to State/UTs

(iii) Merit-cum-means Scholarship scheme for technical and professional courses: This scheme was launched in 2007-08 and cumulatively 79,435 scholarships have been awarded. During 2009-10, the achievement was 35,982 scholarships against the target of 42,000 scholarships. The target for 2010-11 is 55,000 scholarships against which so far we have released amount for 11,863.

Beside these three scholarship schemes, around 35,000 scholarships have been awarded to meritorious girl students since 2006-07 under the Meritorious Girl’s Scholarship Scheme of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF). During 2009-10, the achievement was 15,070. The target for 2010-11 is 18,000 scholarships. Under Maulana Azad National Fellowship scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, 755 students have been awarded fellowship (involving Rs. 14.9 crore) through UGC for 2009-10. The amount is currently under distribution and the process for the current year ( 756 fresh cases involving Rs. 30 crore ) is being initiated.