Scholarship relief after funds stall: Centre releases overseas study grants to marginalised students

Two candidates, who have offer letters from two UK universities, confirmed they had received the NOS provisional award letters

The government issued National Overseas Scholarships (NOS) to 66 scholars of socially marginalised communities after keeping their provisional award letters pending due to a funds crunch.

This U-turn follows the agitation by Opposition parties and student organizations. The award letters will be given at the last stage after document verification.

As part of the NOS, the social justice and empowerment ministry grants scholarships to 125 candidates from Scheduled Castes (SCs), denotified tribes, landless agricultural labourers and traditional artisans annually.

The ministry shortlisted 106 candidates in the first round for 2025-26 but issued provision award letters to only 40 candidates on July 1 and announced that the balance candidates would receive the letters in due course "subject to availability of funds".

Students' groups organized protests against the government's supposed indifference toward students from the backward sections pursuing higher education. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi criticized the government for the tardiness in distributing scholarships as well.

"When a Dalit, backward or tribal student wishes to study — only then the Modi government remembers the budget… No problem for the kids of BJP-RSS leaders to study anywhere — but the moment a Bahujan student takes a step forward, the whole system starts hindering," Rahul had tweeted on X.

A finance ministry official explained that its expenditure finance committee in 2021-22 had sanctioned ₹175 crore under the NOS for five years till 2025-26. The social justice and empowerment ministry, however, has used ₹300 crore in the initial four years. The additional money for the NOS was allegedly sidetracked from other scholarship programs. When the ministry of finance learned about the diversion of funds, it requested that the social justice and empowerment ministry settle for just ₹35 crore during 2025-26 for the NOS.

This necessitated the social justice and empowerment ministry to provide award letters to only 40 of the 106 shortlisted candidates, and seek additional funds from the ministry of finance.

The ministry of finance on Thursday told the ministry of social justice and empowerment that the expenditure department had also consented to give one-time relaxation and sanction of ₹130 crore for the NOS in 2025-26.

Two aspirants, who have two UK university admission offers, stated they had been awarded the provisional award letters for the NOS scholarship.

"I received the award letter on Friday night. I thank the government, especially ministry director Mahesh Kumar Meena, who had promised me that the scholarship would definitely be given. My admission is scheduled for September. I will finish all the formalities by then," a student wished to remain anonymous.

The NOS, which is offered to students studying master's and PhD in leading foreign universities, accommodates tuition fees, daily living expenses and a one-time round-trip air ticket.