Newz Desk, Durgapur: The Union government has initiated steps to revive the scholarship schemes for minority communities, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Ministry is preparing to seek approval from the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) to restart the schemes that have remained suspended since 2021-22.
Responding to a question from CPI(M) MP Amra Ram, the Minister clarified that the pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means scholarships—earlier offered to students from six notified religious minority groups—were halted following serious concerns over misuse of funds.
He noted that red flags issued by the National Scholarships Portal had prompted the Ministry to request investigations into suspicious institutions. “We asked the investigating agencies and States/UTs to verify these institutions and initiate punitive action wherever irregularities were found,” Rijiju said in his written reply.
Although the schemes have not been operational since the 2021-22 academic year, the Ministry has now begun formal procedures to secure EFC approval for reintroducing them in the upcoming 16th Finance Commission cycle, which starts on April 1, 2026.
The clarification from the government follows repeated queries from MPs and civil society groups seeking transparency on the status of scholarships for minority students, many of whom depend on these schemes for continuing their education.
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