Punjab boosts SC student education with ₹245 crore

The Punjab Government, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, is tirelessly working for the welfare and upliftment of every section of society. In particular, dedicated initiatives are being undertaken to bring students from Scheduled Castes into the mainstream by providing them better educational opportunities.

Giving further details, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur informed that a budget provision of ₹245 crore has been made under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students in the financial year 2025-26. The government has set a target to cover 2.70 lakh Scheduled Caste students under this scheme during the year.

She said this initiative would significantly help in improving the socio-economic standard of these students and enable them to lead self-reliant lives through education.

Dr. Baljit Kaur further added that in the previous financial year, the Punjab Government had covered 2,36,575 students under the scheme, disbursing ₹266.57 crore as the state’s share.

To facilitate applications, the Dr. Ambedkar Scholarship Portal will be opened shortly for online submissions, she informed. Besides this, awareness camps will also be organized at the district level to ensure that eligible students are well-informed about the scheme and avail its benefits without difficulty.

The Cabinet Minister emphasized that the Punjab Government is committed to supporting every eligible Scheduled Caste student through this scholarship so that no talented student is deprived of education due to financial constraints. She said, “It is our sincere effort to ensure that children belonging to communities historically subjected to discrimination get fair and equal opportunities to pursue higher education.”

Dr. Baljit Kaur also highlighted that over the years, thousands of SC students have successfully completed their higher education under this scheme and today hold prestigious positions in government services, private jobs, and have even started their own businesses.

She directed the concerned officials to ensure that the benefits of the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme reach every deserving student and stressed that the scheme should be implemented with complete transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness.