Rahul writes to PM, flags delay in scholarships for students from marginalised communities

New Delhi: In a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi drew attention to the “deplorable” conditions of educational support systems for students from marginalised communities, calling for immediate corrective measures.

Gandhi pointed to the collapse of the post-matric scholarship system in Bihar. “The scholarship portal was non-functional for three years – no student received a scholarship in 2021-22,” the letter stated. Even after the system resumed, the number of Dalit students receiving aid dropped dramatically – from 1.36 lakh in FY23 to just 0.69 lakh in FY24.

He highlighted two core issues that are “hindering education opportunities for the 90% of students who are from marginalized communities” – the poor state of residential hostels and the systemic failures in the disbursal of post-matric scholarships.

During a recent visit to the Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, Bihar, Gandhi said he encountered disturbing realities. “Students complained about single rooms which 6-7 students were forced to share, unhygienic toilets, unsafe drinking water, lack of mess facilities, and no access to libraries or the internet,” the Congress leader wrote in the letter.

Calling these examples symptomatic of a nationwide crisis, Gandhi urged the Centre to take two specific steps: first, to conduct a comprehensive audit of all hostels meant for Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC, and minority students, ensuring adequate infrastructure, sanitation, food, and academic facilities; and second, to reform the scholarship delivery system by increasing amounts, ensuring timely disbursal, and strengthening coordination with state governments. The letter placed the spotlight back on social welfare schemes for historically disadvantaged groups—a politically sensitive and potentially volatile area, especially in the run-up to the 2026 elections.