Gujarat sees 48% decline in scholarships for tribal students under PM scheme

A significant disparity exists in the number of Scheduled Tribe (ST) students receiving Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships under the Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (PMVKY) in Gujarat, with a 48% drop in Post-Matric Scholarship beneficiaries compared to Pre-Matric recipients between FY 2022-23 and 2024-25.

According to data of Ministry of Tribal Affairs -  6.35 lakh tribal students in Gujarat received Pre-Matric Scholarships, while only 3.28 lakh benefited from Post-Matric Scholarships during the same period.

This gap is evident across districts. In Ahmedabad, 42,845 ST students received Pre-Matric Scholarships, but only 2,727 were awarded Post-Matric Scholarships. Similarly, Banaskantha saw 51,701 students benefit from Pre-Matric Scholarships, dropping to 10,675 for Post-Matric.

Dahod district recorded the highest number of Pre-Matric beneficiaries at 75,917, but this fell to 57,624 for Post-Matric. In Valsad, 62,666 students received Pre-Matric Scholarships, while only 36,228 got Post-Matric aid. Surat reported a stark 50% decline, with 58,784 Pre-Matric recipients compared to 26,986 Post-Matric beneficiaries. No district in Gujarat shows parity between the two scholarship categories.

Scholarship Details

The Pre-Matric Scholarship supports ST students studying in Classes 9 and 10, with a parental income cap should not be more than ₹2.5 lakh per annum. It provides ₹225 per month for day scholars and ₹525 for hostellers for 10 months annually. 

The Post-Matric Scholarship targets students in Classes 11 and 12, reimbursing compulsory fees (subject to state limits) and offering ₹230 to ₹1,200 monthly, depending on the course.

Funds are disbursed through state governments, with a 75:25 Centre-State funding ratio for most states, except for North East and hill states/UTs like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir, where it is 90:10.

Other PMVKY Scheme 

Besides Pre- and Post-Matric Scholarships, PMVKY includes welfare initiatives like the Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojna (revamped as Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan), and assistance for Project Management Units to uplift tribal communities.

The significant drop in Post-Matric Scholarship beneficiaries raises concerns about access to higher education for tribal students, prompting calls for targeted interventions to bridge this gap.