New Delhi
Five years of official data on scholarships for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students reveal a troubling paradox: while government spending on post-matric scholarships has increased, the number of beneficiaries—especially at the pre-matric level—has steadily declined across India.
An analysis of the figures provided to the Lok Sabha by Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey suggest that between 2020-21 and 2024-25, the total number of students covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship scheme fell by nearly 37 per cent, dropping from 14.39 lakh beneficiaries to just 9.08 lakh. The decline has been continuous, with no recovery even after schools reopened post-pandemic.
In contrast, Post-Matric Scholarship funding touched an all-time high of Rs 2,668.69 crore in 2023-24, before marginally dipping to Rs 2,598.34 crore in 2024-25, indicating strong fiscal backing—but uneven outcomes.
Pre-matric scholarship features:
- Applicable to students who are studying in Classes IX – X.
- Parental income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakhs per annum.
- Scholarships are paid @ Rs.225/- per month for Day Scholars and @ Rs.525/- per month for Hostellers, for a period of 10 months in a year.
Post-matric scholarship features:
- Applicable to students who are pursuing any recognized course from a recognized institution for which qualification is Matriculation/Class X or above.
- Parental income from all sources should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakhs per annum.
- Scholarship has 2 components. First is payment of compulsory fees charged by educational institutions subject to the limit fixed by the concerned State. Second is payment of Maintenance amount varying from Rs .230 to Rs.1200 per month, depending upon the course of study pursued by the student.
PRE-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME SHOWS SHARP EROSION
The pre-matric stage, crucial for preventing early dropouts among tribal children, has seen the steepest erosion.
Major tribal-populated states recorded dramatic declines:
- Madhya Pradesh, the largest beneficiary state, saw numbers drop from 3.78 lakh in 2020-21 to 2.12 lakh in 2024-25, despite receiving over Rs 349 crore cumulatively in the five years.
- Odisha fell from 1.90 lakh beneficiaries to 1.22 lakh, even as funds crossed Rs 244 crore.
- Rajasthan dropped from 2.08 lakh to 57,037 beneficiaries, a fall of over 72 per cent.
- Chhattisgarh plunged from 1.32 lakh to 27,171 beneficiaries, despite intermittent fund releases exceeding Rs 87 crore.
At the national level, pre-matric funding itself declined sharply, from Rs 394.14 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 163.69 crore in 2024-25, mirroring the shrinking coverage.
POST-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIPS: MORE FUNDS, MIXED RESULTS
Unlike pre-matric schemes, post-matric scholarships saw sustained budgetary support, rising from Rs 1,829 crore in 2020-21 to over Rs 2,598 crore in 2024-25.
Beneficiary numbers peaked in 2021-22 at 23.44 lakh, before sliding to 18.15 lakh in 2024-25—a fall of nearly 5.3 lakh students.
State-wise contrasts stand out:
- Odisha bucked the trend, increasing beneficiaries from 1.75 lakh to 2.30 lakh, while receiving Rs 294 crore in 2024-25, the highest for any state.
- Madhya Pradesh remained the single largest spender, crossing Rs 250 crore annually, but beneficiary numbers declined from 4.57 lakh to 3.26 lakh.
- Jharkhand saw post-matric beneficiaries collapse from 1.48 lakh in 2023-24 to just 65,104 in 2024-25, even as allocations jumped to Rs 200 crore.
- Rajasthan, despite receiving Rs 350 crore in 2024-25, failed to report beneficiary data for the year.
DATA GAPS AND REPORTING FAILURES
A recurring red flag across both schemes is non-reporting of beneficiary data by several states and UTs, even in years when funds were released.
States such as Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Bihar show missing or partial data in multiple years, raising concerns over transparency and monitoring. Fund release without timely beneficiary reporting weakens accountability, making it difficult to assess whether scholarships are reaching intended students, an official pointed out.
BIGGER PICTURE
Five years of scholarship data point to a clear policy concern: financial outlays alone are not ensuring wider educational access for tribal students.
The steady fall in pre-matric coverage threatens early retention, while uneven post-matric outcomes suggest administrative delays, Aadhaar-seeding issues, state co-funding gaps and reporting lapses.
As India pushes towards higher tribal enrolment and reduced dropout rates, the data signals an urgent need for stronger monitoring, transparent reporting and timely fund utilisation—especially at the foundational school level, where the decline has been most severe.
Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST Students: National Trend (5 Years)
| Academic Year | Total Beneficiaries | Change from Previous Year |
| 2020-21 | 14,39,930 | — |
| 2021-22 | 13,77,713 | ▼ 4.3% |
| 2022-23 | 10,03,157 | ▼ 27.2% |
| 2023-24 | 9,27,364 | ▼ 7.6% |
| 2024-25 | 9,08,138 | ▼ 2.1% |
Key takeaway: Pre-matric coverage has fallen by nearly 37% in five years, with no post-pandemic recovery.
Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students: National Trend
| Academic Year | Total Beneficiaries | Change |
| 2020-21 | 20,05,696 | — |
| 2021-22 | 23,44,407 | ▲ 16.9% |
| 2022-23 | 22,69,112 | ▼ 3.2% |
| 2023-24 | 20,63,703 | ▼ 9.1% |
| 2024-25 | 18,15,598 | ▼ 12.0% |
Key takeaway: Beneficiaries peaked in 2021-22, then declined by over 5.3 lakh students.
Top 6 States by Pre-Matric Beneficiaries (2024-25)
| State | Beneficiaries |
| Madhya Pradesh | 2,12,347 |
| Jharkhand | 1,29,142 |
| Odisha | 1,22,029 |
| Gujarat | 1,24,886 |
| Karnataka | 1,04,211 |
| Rajasthan | 57,037 |
Note: Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh show sharp declines despite large tribal populations.
Top 6 States by Post-Matric Beneficiaries (2024-25)
| State | Beneficiaries |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3,26,410 |
| Odisha | 2,30,366 |
| Gujarat | 2,33,161 |
| Maharashtra | 1,44,785 |
| Telangana | 1,31,032 |
| Karnataka | 1,25,823 |
Funds Released – Pre-Matric Scholarships (Rs crore)
| Financial Year | Funds Released |
| 2020-21 | 248.90 |
| 2021-22 | 394.14 |
| 2022-23 | 357.29 |
| 2023-24 | 308.60 |
| 2024-25 | 163.69 |
Key takeaway: Funding fell 34% in two years, mirroring the drop in beneficiaries.
Funds Released – Post-Matric Scholarships (Rs crore)
| Financial Year | Funds Released |
| 2020-21 | 1,829.08 |
| 2021-22 | 2,256.80 |
| 2022-23 | 1,964.63 |
| 2023-24 | 2,668.69 |
| 2024-25 | 2,598.34 |
Key takeaway: Budgets rose sharply, but student coverage declined.
