Maarg Manthan · Topic 15.2

Post-Matric and Pre-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SC/ST/OBC Students

Current Affairs & Government Schemes › Schemes for SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Divyangjan · Topic 15.2

The Post-Matric and Pre-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SC, ST and OBC students are centrally sponsored schemes that pay course fees and maintenance allowance so that children from disadvantaged groups can stay in school and college. The Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Castes is run by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and, in the Cabinet decision of December 2020, was given an outlay of 59,048 crore rupees for 2021-22 to 2025-26 for about four crore students. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs runs the ST schemes, and the PM YASASVI scheme serves OBC, EBC and DNT students. Applications go through the National Scholarship Portal.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Current Affairs & Government Schemes · Schemes for SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Divyangjan

At a Glance

SC schemes Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
ST schemes Ministry of Tribal Affairs
OBC scheme PM YASASVI
SC post-matric outlay 59,048 crore rupees, 2021-22 to 2025-26
Portal National e-Governance Plan Payment mode Direct benefit transfer…">National Scholarship Portal
Type Centrally sponsored, shared with states
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Current Affairs and Government Schemes: Schemes for SC/ST/OBC/Minorities and Divyangjan

Where Does It Fit?

This topic covers education support for the three main groups. It follows the village-level tribal scheme and precedes the combined scheme for scheduled caste development. Previous topic: Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY). Next topic: Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY).

Which Scholarship Schemes Exist for SC, ST and OBC Students?

Scheme	Key points
Post-Matric Scholarship for SC	Covers students from Class 11 to higher levels, including doctoral study. It pays non-refundable fees and a maintenance allowance, with an income ceiling of 2.5 lakh rupees per year reported, and revisions have been discussed
Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC	Supports children of certain scavenging-linked occupations from Class 1 and other SC students in Class 9 and 10, with an income limit
Post-Matric Scholarship for ST	Run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, with similar fee and allowance support for ST students after Class 10
Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST	Supports ST students in Class 9 and 10 through state and Union Territory governments
PM YASASVI	The Prime Minister Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India covers OBC, Economically Backward Class and Denotified Tribe students at pre-matric and post-matric levels
Top Class Education	Full fee and living support for SC and ST students in notified premier institutions

How Are the Schemes Funded and Delivered?

SC post-matric outlay: the Cabinet approved 59,048 crore rupees for 2021-22 to 2025-26, with a central share of about 35,534 crore rupees, as reported
Funding pattern: the Centre bears a committed share above a base level set by the states, and special category states receive a higher central share, under the guidelines
Delivery: online application on the National Scholarship Portal, verification by institutions and states, and direct benefit transfer to the student bank account
Target group size: the Cabinet note cited about four crore SC students over five years, as reported
Income ceiling: the limit of 2.5 lakh rupees for SC post-matric and PM YASASVI has been reported, while a parliamentary panel urged an increase and revisions were reported under consideration, so the latest notified figure should be checked
Fee cap: course fee limits were revised for SC post-matric students in recent guidelines, as reported
Aadhaar and DBT: the use of Aadhaar-based payment and checks to remove ghost beneficiaries became standard
Minority comparison: the Ministry of Minority Affairs scholarships were narrowed after 2022-23, with pre-matric limited to classes 9 and 10, as stated in answers to Parliament

What Else Should You Remember?

Article 46: the Directive Principles ask the State to promote the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections, in particular SC and ST
Article 15(4): allows special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes and SC and ST
Earlier PM YASASVI: the OBC scholarship was merged and renamed from separate OBC, EBC and DNT schemes
Dropout: scholarships target dropouts at the transition points, such as after Class 10 and at college entry
Delays: states often release money late, and institutions complain about delay in reimbursement of fees
Verification issues: students face problems with income and caste certificates, bank seeding and portal glitches
Fee regulation: fees in private colleges can be above the cap, which leaves a gap for students
Link to hostels: PM-AJAY provides hostels for SC students, as in Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY)
Link to residential schools: EMRS cover ST students in classes 6 to 12, as in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)
Link to other minorities scheme: Nai Manzil covers education and skills for minority youth, as in Nai Manzil Scheme (Minority Education and Skilling)
Way forward: index the income ceiling to inflation, release funds on time and simplify verification

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Ministries: SC by Social Justice, ST by Tribal Affairs
Names: PM YASASVI for OBC, EBC and DNT
Outlay: 59,048 crore rupees for SC post-matric from 2021-22 to 2025-26
Portal: National Scholarship Portal
Common errors: giving a wrong ministry for ST scholarships or an old income ceiling

As an analytical point, scholarships work only when money reaches students on time and the income ceiling keeps pace with prices. Delays in fee reimbursement can push poor students out of higher education even when the scheme exists.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Prelims Ministries, names and outlay are asked as facts
Mains Education access of SC, ST and OBC
Linkage Joins reservation, DBT and higher education policy

What Came Next?

The next topic covers a scheme for the development of scheduled caste communities. Next topic: Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY).

Key People and Terms

Matric Class 10
Post-matric After Class 10
PM YASASVI Scholarship scheme for OBC, EBC, DNT
NSP National Scholarship Portal
DBT Direct benefit transfer
DNT Denotified Tribes

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

SC post-matric outlay: 59,048 crore rupees for 2021-22 to 2025-26.
ST schemes: Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
OBC scheme: PM YASASVI.
Apply through National Scholarship Portal.
Income ceiling reported at 2.5 lakh rupees; check latest.

Do Not Confuse With

Post-matric and pre-matric After Class 10 versus Classes 1 to 10
SC scholarship and minority scholarship Social Justice scheme versus Minority Affairs scheme
PM YASASVI and PM-AJAY OBC scholarships versus a development scheme for SC communities

Memory Hook

After matric, fees paid: SC via Social Justice, ST via Tribal, OBC via YASASVI.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about access to education. These points give a balanced frame.

Role Fees, retention and equity
Gaps Delays and income ceiling
Way forward Timely DBT, indexing, simplification

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Evaluate the effectiveness of scholarship schemes in improving higher education access for SC, ST and OBC students.”

How to Answer

Intro List the schemes and constitutional basis.
Impact Enrolment, retention, DBT.
Gaps Delay, ceiling, private fees.
Way Timely release and indexing.

GS Relevance

Prelims: ministries, outlay, portal, eligibility. GS Paper 2: welfare of SC, ST and OBC, education policy, inclusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students?

It is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment that pays course fees and a maintenance allowance to Scheduled Caste students after Class 10. The Cabinet approved 59,048 crore rupees for 2021-22 to 2025-26, covering about four crore students.

Which ministry runs scholarships for ST students?

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs runs the pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Tribe students, along with the Top Class Education scheme. States and Union Territories receive central assistance and handle most applications, verification and payment through the National Scholarship Portal.

What is PM YASASVI?

PM YASASVI stands for the Prime Minister Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India. It supports OBC, Economically Backward Class and Denotified Tribe students from school to higher education, replacing earlier separate scholarship schemes, with an income ceiling that was reported at 2.5 lakh rupees.

Who is eligible for SC post-matric scholarship?

A Scheduled Caste student who is an Indian citizen, studying at a recognised post-matric level institution and whose family income is within the ceiling, reported at 2.5 lakh rupees a year, is eligible. The limit has been under review, so the notified figure on the portal should be checked.

What is the latest status of these scholarships?

The SC post-matric outlay covered 2021-22 to 2025-26, and discussions on raising the income ceiling and continuing the scheme were reported. Minority scholarships were narrowed after 2022-23. Applicants should check the National Scholarship Portal for the current guidelines and dates.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Scholarships for ST students are run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

True

SC schemes belong to Social Justice.

2 PM YASASVI is a scheme for minority students.

False

It is for OBC, EBC and DNT students.

3 Applications are made on the National Scholarship Portal.