Modi Government spent less than 20% of budget for minority scholarships in 2024-2025

Scholarships for Minorities: Less than a third of funds allocated to three major scholarship schemes for minority students were utilised in the last financial year, shows data shared by the ministry of minority affairs during the monsoon session of parliament 2025. The three are Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Meric-cum-Means Scholarship.

The decreased budget utilisation is a trend with this ministry. Even in 2023-24, just 8.5% of a Rs 1,000 crore outlay for post-matric scholarships was actually utilised. The same year, 23.96% of Rs 400 crore earmarked for pre-matric scholarships for minorities was used.

However, the MCM scholarships claimed Rs 152.74 crore against an initial allocation of Rs 25 crore. Kiren Rijiju, minister for minority affairs, shared the data in response to a question raised by John Brittas and V Sivasadan from Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

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Previously, Careers360 has reported on the decline in beneficiaries of the post-matric scholarship for ST (Scheduled Tribes). In 2022, the central government also scrapped vital scholarship schemes such as the Maulana Azad National Fellowship.

Pre, Post-Matric, MCM Scholarships: Funds decline

The allocations and utilisation of funds for the three scholarships are as shown below.

Minority Scholarships: Allocation vs Utilisation

The pre-matric scholarship for minorities, ST, Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes was originally aimed at helping students from these communities stay in school from Classes 1 to 10. The pre-matric (PMS) scholarship for different groups has faced budget cuts and been limited to Classes 9 and 10. The Narendra Modi government justified this move by saying that the goals of the scholarship are already addressed by the Right to Education Act and other programmes, such as the Samagra Shiksha Abiyan.

The post-matric scholarship is for students after Class 10 till higher education. The MCM scholarship for minority students supports technical or professional education. The application and disbursement processes are managed by states via their State Scholarship Portals (SSP scholarships) but often, they too create hurdles and delays.

Delay in scholarship ‘harmonisation’

A parliament standing committee on social justice and empowerment led by PC Mohan slammed the government on delays in utilisation of funds due to “harmonisation” process of scholarships.

The committee report submitted to Lok Sabha on Monday, says, “It is the strong desire of the committee that the students should not be made to suffer for no fault and necessary efforts should be made by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.”

The committee recommends that the process be completed in “time bound manner" as these scholarship schemes are “crucial for educational upliftment of economically weaker sections”.