Minister: Delhi govt to boost SC/ST/OBC scholarship outreach
New Delhi: In a bid to improve access to educational support for marginalised communities, Delhi’s minister for Social Welfare, SC/ST/OBC Welfare, Elections and Cooperation, Ravinder Indraj Singh, on Thursday chaired a high-level review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat. The meeting focused on the evaluation and effective implementation of scholarship schemes for SC/ST/OBC students across the Capital.
Vice Chancellors and senior officials from major universities, along with representatives from the Higher Education and SC/ST/OBC Welfare Departments, participated in the discussions. The Minister stressed the need for collaborative efforts between educational institutions and the government to promote these welfare schemes.
“Departments must work in collaboration with universities to ensure maximum awareness about scholarship schemes for SC/ST/OBC students,” said Ravinder Indraj. He also directed the development of an online portal to streamline the application process, stating, “We need to simplify access and make the application process transparent and student-friendly.”
Indraj pointed out the lapses under the previous administration, noting that thousands of applications were left pending. “A large number of scholarship applications were stalled, depriving students of their rights. We have cleared 52 per cent of these applications in the past three months,” he added.
The cleared applications span across several schemes including Tuition Fee Reimbursement for 2023–24 and 2024–25, the Chief Minister Vidyarthi Pratibha Yojana, the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar State Topper Award, Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships, and financial aid for SC students studying abroad.
He further noted that several SC/ST hostels had been shut under the previous government’s watch, adding, “We are working towards building at least one hostel for SC/ST students in every district.”
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusivity, Indraj said, “It is our duty to fulfil the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and realise Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dream of empowering the underprivileged through education.”
The Minister also announced a major awareness event scheduled for June 26 at Yamuna Sports Complex to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
