The All India Students and Youth Organisation (AISYO) strongly condemns the Union Government’s continued denial of crucial scholarships to students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Denotified Nomadic Tribes (DNT), Other Backward Classes (OBC), Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and Minority communities.
The recent curtailment of the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) for the academic year 2025–26 is the latest in a series of such exclusions. Out of 106 selected students, only 40 have received provisional award letters. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has stated that letters for the remaining 66 candidates “may be issued subject to availability of funds,” pending clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This phased disbursal has left many students uncertain about their academic futures.
The NOS scheme, established in 1954–55, provides financial assistance to students from SC, DNT, semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisan communities with a family income below ₹8 lakh per annum. Historically, all selected candidates have received timely provisional scholarship letters. This year’s delay reflects both administrative inefficiencies and a broader neglect of marginalised students.
The crisis is not limited to the NOS. Over 1,400 PhD scholars under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) have faced stalled stipend payments since January 2025, severely disrupting their research and livelihoods. Similarly, the National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes has experienced irregularities: the initial selection list published by the National Testing Agency in June 2024 included 865 scholars, but was later revised to 805 in April 2025. A total of 487 previously listed candidates were removed without a transparent explanation.
In Bihar, the state scholarship portal has remained non-functional for three years, preventing disbursals for the 2021–22 academic year. Nationally, the number of SC students receiving scholarships fell from 1.36 lakh in FY23 to 69,000 in FY24. Many recipients have also reported that the amounts sanctioned were insufficient to meet basic educational expenses.
The overall allocation of funds remains inadequate, and even these limited resources are withheld due to pending Cabinet Committee approval. This delay not only disrupts students’ education but also undermines constitutional commitments to social justice and equal access to higher education.
Demands:
1. Immediate disbursal of the National Overseas Scholarship to all 106 selected candidates
2. Resumption and clearance of all pending stipends under MANF and other central fellowships
3. Substantial increase in scholarship amounts to reflect real educational costs and inflation
4. Timely and full utilisation of allocated funds within each academic year to avoid lapses
5. Transparent and accountable administration of all scholarship and fellowship schemes
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A. Suresh
Convenor, All India Convening Committee
All India Students and Youth Organisation (AISYO)
15 July 2025 | Vijayawada
