Make scholarship schemes for minorities 'demand driven': Panel

A parliamentary panel has strongly pitched for making pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes for minorities "demand driven" and not budget-based as they are hugely popular among students.
Taking note of the fact that several applications from students are not sanctioned as these centrally-funded schemes are linked with budget, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment suggested the Minority Affairs Ministry to take up the issue with the Finance Ministry for fund augmentation.
"These schemes are very popular and are in demand too by the minority students as it not only directly affects their future but also empowers them educationally as well as financially.

"The Committee recommends that both these schemes should be made demand driven and applications should not be rejected due to paucity of funds/budget," the Committee said in its report tabled in Parliament recently.
During 2014-15, Rs 1,129.27 crore was released for the pre-matric scholarship for awarding 74.97 lakh scholarships up to March 2015. In case of post-matric, Rs 501.28 crore was released during the fiscal for awarding 9.06 lakh scholarships up to March 31, 2015.
Expressing "dismay" over the inordinate delay in publishing socio-religious Census data of 2011, the committee said it was beyond comprehension as to how the government could fix targets of various schemes in the absence of vital statistics.

Laying emphasis on pursuing the matter urgently with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the Committee asked the Minority Affairs Ministry for early finalisation of the data.
"The matter may be pursued for early finalisation of data regarding notified communities or the minorities living below the poverty line and below double the poverty line and their percentage to all India percentage of BPL population.
"The committee also desires that this information should be displayed in the website too," the committee said.