3.5 Lakh MP Students Await Scholarship Funds

Around 3.5 lakh school students in Madhya Pradesh have been waiting for their scholarships for nearly two years. The delay is due to errors in their bank account details, which has emerged as a major hurdle in the disbursement of funds.

The affected students include around 2.66 lakh students studying in government schools and nearly 77,000 students admitted to private schools under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The issue has particularly affected students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) categories from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic sessions.

According to officials, scholarship amounts could not be credited because the bank account information of several students was found to be incorrect or incomplete. The School Education Department has now directed all divisional joint directors and district education officers to ensure that the bank account details of the affected students are updated.

However, the process has remained a challenge as many parents have to visit banks to get the accounts corrected or updated. Teachers in several schools said parents are repeatedly being asked to update their children's bank accounts. In many cases, parents live outside the district and cannot easily visit the bank during working hours.

As a result, despite attempts to rectify the details, the scholarship amount remains pending. The scholarship benefits vary across classes and categories. Under the SC scholarship scheme, girls studying in Classes 1 to 5 are provided Rs 250 annually. For Classes 6 to 8, SC and ST students receive scholarships ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 600 per year.

In Classes 9 and 10, SC students are eligible for Rs 600 to Rs 1,200 annually. For Classes 11 and 12, SC, ST and OBC students who are natives of MP are eligible for monthly assistance. Day scholars receive Rs 230 per month, while students staying in hostels are provided Rs 380 per month.

The district-wise pending scholarships are as follows: Indore has 22,859 affected students, Rewa has 13,910, Dhar has 13,198, Jabalpur has 12,658, Sagar has 9,967, Bhopal has 9,884, Chhatarpur has 9,582, Gwalior has 9,288, Rajgarh has 9,096, and Morena has 8,942.

The delay in scholarship payments has significant implications for the students and their families. Many students rely on these scholarships to continue their education, and the delay can cause financial hardship and disrupt their academic progress.

In conclusion, the delay in scholarship payments to 3.5 lakh students in Madhya Pradesh is a significant issue that needs to be addressed urgently. The state government and education department must work together to resolve the bank account errors and ensure that the students receive their scholarships as soon as possible.