Lower secondary scholarship (LSS) and upper secondary scholarship (USS) to the tune of ₹29.88 crore for over 1.3 lakh students are pending in the State for the past four years, according to figures tabled in the Assembly.
Even as thousands of students continue their wait for the scholarship money, the government has scheduled yet another scholarship examination (for 2023-24) this month.
The scholarship amount for 1,30,353 students is pending since 2019-20. Part payment of the scholarship arrears was last made in March 2023. The government said steps are being taken to disburse the pending scholarship money on the basis of fund availability.
The LSS scholarship exams are held for Class IV students and the USS exams for Class VII students. Scholarships of ₹1,000 for LSS and ₹1,500 for USS are given for a period of three years on the basis of the score of the students in the exams. Those who get 60% marks in the LSS scholarship exam and 70% in the USS exam are eligible for the scholarship.
With the General Education department in no position to distribute the scholarship amount till it receives funds for the same, the students’ wait will continue.
In 2022-23, 1,04,311 students appeared for the LSS scholarship and 92,507 for the USS. Of them, 20,020 and 11,241, respectively, became eligible for the scholarship.
Competition among schools
The number of students eligible for the scholarship has increased over the years. As per figures tabled in the Assembly, 7,171 students became eligible for LSS and 4,364 for the USS in 2018. This went up to 20,020 and 11,241, respectively, in 2023.
General Education department officials say there is competition between schools to get maximum number of students eligible for the scholarships. Also, students are provided coaching to clear the exams.
Funds inadequate
In the absence of a cap on the number of scholarships, the amount earmarked for it often proves inadequate. A proposal by the previous Director of General Education to restrict the number of scholarships has not made any progress.
Even the scholarship amount has gone up over the years, say the officials. The allocation for the scholarship, however, has not kept pace with it.
Officials also highlight the need to increase the cut-off marks for the scholarships. However, this will happen only if the government accepts the proposal.
