AGARTALA: Educational scholarships for ST students in Tripura dropped slightly to 44,323 beneficiaries in 2024-25 (till date) from 45,279 in 2023-24, though West Tripura continued leading with 89 National Top Class Scholarship recipients, Union Tribal Welfare Minister Jual Oram revealed, responding to former Chief Minister and current Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb’s parliamentary question.
According to the data presented in Lok Sabha on Thursday, December 4, post-matric scholarship beneficiaries declined from 33,678 to 32,287 till date, while pre-matric scholarships witnessed a positive trend, increasing from 11,601 to 12,036 students across eight districts.
“The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing five major scholarship schemes to ensure tribal communities have greater access to quality education,” Minister Oram stated, listing Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, National Fellowship, National Top Class, and National Overseas Scholarship programs.
Also read | Study Reveals Tripura’s Rainfall Turns Unpredictable, Rice Fields and Farmers Face Growing Threat
District-wise analysis revealed mixed trends. South Tripura recorded the most significant gain in pre-matric scholarships, jumping from 1,742 beneficiaries in 2023-24 to 2,255 in 2024-25. However, Gomati witnessed the highest decline in post-matric scholarships, dropping from 6,917 to 6,516 students.
Meanwhile, West Tripura dominated the National Top Class Scholarship scheme with beneficiaries surging from 37 to 89, followed by Sepahijala rising from 13 to 32. Moreover, National Fellowship recipients increased marginally from 46 to 51 students statewide.
The Minister informed that nationwide, under centrally sponsored schemes, the government released Rs. 2,668.69 crore for post-matric and Rs. 308.60 crore for pre-matric scholarships in 2023-24. However, funding in 2024-25 till date showed Rs. 2,598.34 crore for post-matric and Rs. 163.69 crore for pre-matric scholarships across all states.
Also read | Eight Out of Ten Deaths in Tripura Are Men—The Crisis No One’s Talking About
“Scholarships are given to all eligible students whose parental income does not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum, with amounts disbursed directly to students’ bank accounts through DBT mode,” the statement clarified.