12 Lakh Fewer SC Students Get Scholarships Under PMS in 2025-26

New Delhi: In yet another blow to government-funded scholarships and schemes for marginalised communities, the number of beneficiaries of the Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities saw a sharp drop in 2025-26, the Telegraph reported.

Citing government data, the report said that the number of SC beneficiaries under the scheme dropped from 48 lakh in 2024-25 to 36 lakh in 2025-26. The numbers from last year also missed the government-set target of awarding scholarships to 76 lakh students from the SC community.

The report also noted that Bengal, Kerala and Odisha were the worst-performing states on this front.

Data from a Lok Sabha reply from the ministry of social justice and empowerment (MoSJE) quoted in the report showed the state-wise beneficiaries under the scheme as of March 19, 2026. 

In Odisha, 1,745 students availed the scheme last year as opposed to 1.92 lakh students in 2024-25. In Bengal, the beneficiaries from the scheme fell from 1.08 lakh to 28,666, while in Kerala, the number of scholarships declined to 17,133 last year to 1.47 lakh the year before.

According to the report, the MoSJE said that poor awareness about the scheme has led to a decline in beneficiaries under the scheme. 

Bharatiya Janata Party MP P.C. Mohan, who heads the parliamentary standing committee on social justice, expressed concern over the decline, the report said.

‘Lack of awareness’

A senior MoSJE official quoted by the Telegraph said that the income criteria and awareness about the scheme were low. 

At present, students with family income below Rs 2.5 lakh per annum can avail the scheme. However, the official said this cut off may be increased to Rs 4.5 lakh per annum in 2026-27. 

The government may also allocate 1% of the budget to raise awareness about the scheme, the official added.

Ashok Bharti, chairman of the National Confederation of Dalit Organisations, told the paper that the problem lay in the online application system and the manner in which the Union government and states split the funding for the scheme.  

“It is quite possible that the Centre may have delayed the release of funds because states are yet to pay their share. The PMS should be fully funded by the Centre. Moreover, many students don’t have access to computers to apply online,” Bharti told the paper.

MoSJE surrendered funds earmarked for SC welfare

Earlier this month, a report by the committee had also flagged that the MoSJE had surrendered 23% of funds earmarked for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes (SC) community in 2024-25.

The committee also found that a substantial amount of the budget sanctioned for 2024-25 was surrendered by the department. Nearly 20-25% of the budget allocated for ‘Top Class Education’ for SCs and ‘Top Class School and College’ schemes for other backward classes, economically backward classes and denotified tribes was surrendered, it stated.

The committee had also flagged concerns over continued budget cuts, under-utilisation of funds and implementation gaps in welfare schemes for minorities, stating that the pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes for minority students have not been approved beyond 2021-22, and scholarships have not been disbursed from 2022-23 onwards due to “gross irregularities”.

In 2025, the MoSJE had issued provisional scholarship awards to less than half of the students selected for the National Overseas Scholarship citing lack of funds. It had said that letters for the remaining candidates “may be issued… subject to availability of funds”.

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