Increase income limit for scholarships: CM Stalin

Chennai: Prime Minister MK Stalin urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take urgent action and increase the ceiling on annual family income from the current Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for students from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes offering post-matric and pre-matric scholarships.

In his letter on Tuesday, Stalin said, ‘It is pertinent to mention that the Government of India has revised the income ceiling for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) to Rs.8 Lakhs and has also increased the income ceiling for schemes like National Overseas Scholarship and Top-Class Education Scheme up to Rs 8 Lakhs for SC/ST students.”

Re-fixing the income ceiling for eligibility in these schemes would have benefited many students from disadvantaged backgrounds, he said. the disadvantaged parts of higher education.

‘As per the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) report, the Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) of Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students and certain backward communities remains significantly lower than that of other students. There is a big difference in the GER of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students, compared to the general population. Therefore, it is imperative to facilitate their enrollment in higher numbers in higher educational institutions,” he said.

Increasing the annual income ceiling for post-matric and pre-matric scholarships from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, on par with that of the economically weaker sections, was not only essential but also fully justified and warranted, he added to.