Chennai: On Wednesday, Chief Minister MK Stalin wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to take a decision on the sudden withdrawal of minority scholarship provided under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme to students of classes 1 to 8 from the year 2022-2023. on hold. He said that this would affect all the scholarships of the children of classes I to VIII. “I wish to point out that this stance goes against the principle of supporting the needy in the critical years of their early education.”
Withdrawal of Scholarship
In 2021-2022, Rs 86.76 crore was allocated to 4,49,559 students of Tamil Nadu under the scheme. The Chief Minister said that the withdrawal of scholarship by the Central Government would adversely affect about five lakh poor minority students studying in classes I to VIII in Tamil Nadu and would be deprived of the benefits of scholarship. Education is the most powerful means to empower the poor and help them lead a life of dignity. The Ministry of Minority Affairs, in a letter dated November 29, 2022, announced that the Right to Education Act requires the government to provide free and compulsory primary education (classes I to VIII) to all children.
eligibility criteria
Only students studying in class IX and X will be eligible for the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs. In 2008-09, the Center started the Pre-Matric Scholarship Program for minority students. Minority students in classes 1-10 studying in government/government aided and all recognized private institutions are eligible for this scholarship if their parent/guardian annual income is less than Rs.1 lakh.
Emphasis on the sudden cancellation and reinstatement of pre-matric scholarship to minority students studying in classes 1 to 8 by the Central Government from the year 2022-2023
1/2 pic.twitter.com/Fvqlit5PYl— CMOTmilnadu (@CMOTamilnadu) December 7, 2022
“Many surveys over the years have demonstrated that minorities, especially Muslims, are lagging behind in education. This scholarship supports poor, disadvantaged and highly marginalized students, including girls, to access quality education and Hence it should be continued. Therefore, I, request you to suspend the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme and restore the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for all minority students studying in class I to VIII,” CM MK Stalin said.