Last Updated: 01 Jan 2025

Highest enrollment in SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme under AAP
-- 2.38 lakh students (2024-25)^[1]
-- 2.50 lakh students(2023)^[2]
-- 1.75 lakh students (2020)^[2:1]

2017-2022 No Payment made: Degrees of lakhs of Dalit students were stopped and the studies of thousands were interrupted

Neither the Center(BJP) gave its 60% share nor the previous Congress Punjab government released its 40%^[3]
-- Akalis which were part of Center till 2020 made no effort at all as well

Clearing Old Pending Dues: AAP government released for period from 2017 to 2022
-- Rs 366 crore in 2023^[3:1]
-- Rs 92 crore in 2024^[4]

¶ Payments made by AAP^[2:2]

Old Pending Payments

• AAP government released Rs 183 crore in June 2023 and Rs 181 crore in August 2023
• Rs 92 crore in Dec 2024^[4:1]
• This gave relief to 1000s of students and they could start their education again

2023-24

• AAP Govt released its Timely payment for 40% share i.e. Rs 91.46 crore^[3:2][5]

¶ Scams during Congress government

2 lakh students from SC category dropped out of college due to scams^[2:3]

• Scam took place in 2019, during the Congress-led state government, and discrepancies amounting to Rs 55 crore were detected^[6]
• Many were denied degrees due to payment delays by previous Govt^[2:4]

Dismissal of Culprits & Vigilance Inquiry^[6:1]

• 6 Culprits have been dismissed by AAP Government
• Further further inquiry had been recommended to the Vigilance for a thorough probe

¶ Scheme Details: Funding reduced by Modi Govt

• Prior to 2016-17, the scholarship revenue was contributed by the Centre and the state in 90:10 ratio^[7]
• In 2020-21, Centre restarted the scholarship scheme with a sharing ratio of 60:40^[7:1]

REFERENCES:

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1. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=197017 ↩︎

2. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/2-50-lakh-sc-students-to-get-post-matric-scholarships-475981 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

3. https://www.punjabnewsexpress.com/punjab/news/in-cm-mann-led-aap-government-the-rights-of-dalit-students-are-completely-safe-harpal-cheema-252189 ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

4. https://yespunjab.com/post-matric-scholarship-rs-59-34-cr-disbursed-to-256-institutions-dr-baljit-kaur/ ↩︎ ↩︎

5. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjab-releases-rs-9146-crore-for-sc-students-scholarship-scheme/articleshow/110829563.cms ↩︎

6. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/govt-orders-vigilance-probe-into-post-matric-scholarship-scam-480763 ↩︎ ↩︎

7. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/over-2-lakh-sc-students-in-punjab-go-without-scholarship-all-because-of-portal-snag-588114 ↩︎ ↩︎