Pre-matric scholarship only for classes 9, 10 in govt. schools under OBC category: Minister

The pre-matric scholarship has now been limited to Class 9 and 10 in government schools only under the OBC category, the minister said.

Responding to a question in Rajya Sabha, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar explained that the government has limited the pre-matric scholarship to Class 9 and Class 10 in government schools only under the OBC category. Kumar said this has been done in order to rationalise the scholarship.

"Accordingly only students studying in classes IX and X are covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Likewise from 2022-23, the coverage under the pre-matric scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs shall also be for classes IX and X only," a notice released by the government earlier said.

"The pre-matric scholarship has now been limited to Class 9 and 10 in government schools only under the OBC category," he said in a written response. Kumar said the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education (classes 1 to 8) to each and every child. Accordingly, only students of Classes 9 and 10 are covered under the pre-matric scholarship scheme for OBC," he said in a written response.

Responding to another question, Minister of State for Social Justice Pratima Bhoumik said representations are being received from various individuals and organizations to provide reservation for OBCs on the basis of their population. "However, there is no proposal to provide 50 per cent reservation for OBCs in education and employment," she said in a written reply.

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