The Road from Education to Employment |
Economic empowerment begins when a young person completes education and starts preparing for a career. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has designed its schemes around this journey, ensuring that support at one stage creates opportunities for the next. From scholarships that help students continue their education to fellowships, coaching, skilling and financial assistance for entrepreneurship, these initiatives seek to establish a continuum of support that enables individuals to move towards economic independence.
Building the Foundation Through ScholarshipsFor a student from a disadvantaged background whose family has limited financial resources, completing school can be a challenge. At the end of Class 8, the question of whether education can continue often becomes a difficult one for the family. The Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme addresses this concern by helping students remain enrolled through Classes 9 and 10. Beyond school, the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme supports students with educational expenses, including tuition fees and maintenance costs, enabling them to pursue higher studies.
Keeping students within the education system is the foundation of the Department’s scholarship architecture. Over the last twelve years, the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and other eligible students have released more than `65,756 crore to over 19.8 crore beneficiaries. These figures reflect the scale of support extended to students to help them overcome financial barriers and continue their education.
Alongside the expansion of coverage, the delivery system has also undergone significant improvements. Since 2021–22, scholarship schemes have moved to Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), supported by measures such as de-duplication to eliminate redundant entries, biometric e-KYC for students and officials, and one-time registration to track students across academic years. Integration with DigiLocker, the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) and the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) databases has further strengthened the system. These measures help ensure that financial assistance reaches........