Education Budget 2023 – Massive Cut in OBC, EBC, Minority Scholarships & More

New Delhi, 4 February 2023 – Education Budget 2023 – The Union Budget 2023 has significantly cut funding for pre-matric scholarships for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Denotified Tribes (DNTs), in addition to the schemes for minority communities.

The government has slashed funding for pre-matric scholarships across categories.

It argues that the Right to Education Act 2009, which provides free public education till Class 8, meets the needs of students from Class 1 to Class 8, and those of some of the most underprivileged children.

Education Budget 2023 – Scholarships for SCs, OBCs, EBCs, DNTs and Others 

• The allocation for the OBC, EBC, and DNT pre-matric scholarships has been slashed by 41%. The programme has been granted INR 281 crore, down from INR 478 crore in 2022.
• However, post-matric scholarships for the communities, as well as hostels and other programmes, have seen minor hikes.
• The budget included INR 6,359.14 crore, an increase from INR 5,660 crore in 2022, for the post-matric scholarship programme for students from Scheduled Castes (SC). 
• The same amount of INR 500 crore has been set aside for pre-matric scholarships for SCs and others.

Programmes	Budget Allocation 2022-23	Budget Allocation 2023-24
National Fellowship for SCs	INR 173 crore	INR 163 crore
National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) for SCs	INR 36 crore	INR 50 crore
National Fellowship for OBCs	INR 53 crore	INR 50 crore
Post-Matric Scholarship for SCs	INR 5660 crore	INR 6359.14 crore
Pre-Matric Scholarship for SCs and Others	INR 500 crore	INR 500 crore
Post-Matric Scholarship for OBCs, EBCs and DNTs	INR 1083 crore	INR 1087 crore
Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBCs, EBCs and DNTs	INR 478 crore	281

• The Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS) for SCs has been granted INR 371 crore for the upcoming financial year, up from INR 364 crore in the current year. 
• However, the funding for the National Fellowship for SCs has been cut by the central government, going from INR 173 crore in the fiscal year 2022–23 to INR 163 crore in the fiscal year 2023–24.

Education Budget 2023 – Scholarships for Minorities, Key Highlights

• Meanwhile, the government has drastically slashed the budget allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs by 38% in the fiscal year 2023-24.
• A number of scholarship and skill-development programmes have seen significant funding cutbacks, including the Merit-Cum Means Scholarship for students from minority communities in professional and technical courses. 
• In comparison to last year’s budget, which was INR 365 crore, the schemes this year have been awarded INR 44 crore.
• In 2022–2023, the Ministry of Minority Affairs’ budget was INR 5,020.50 crore. The ministry has been allocated INR 3,097 crore this year. It should be noted that the ministry’s revised budget for 2022–2023 was INR 2,612.66 crore.
• Additionally, the government cut more than INR 900 crore from the Pre-Matric Scholarship for Minorities for the fiscal year 2023–2024. The amount allocated for scholarships in the previous budget was INR 1,425 crore, but it is now only INR 433 crore.
• However, the budget allocation for post-matric scholarships has increased from INR 515 crore to INR 1,065 crore.

Schemes for Minorities	Budget Allocation 2022-23	Budget Allocation 2023-24
Scholarship and skill development schemes for minorities	INR 365 crore	INR 44 crore
Pre-metric scholarship for minorities	INR 1,425 crore	INR 433 crore
Post-metric scholarships for minorities	INR 515 crore	INR 1,065 crore
Schemes that provide support for minority students clearing Prelim exams held by UPSC, Staff Selection Commission, and State Public Service Commission	INR 8 crore	None
Free coaching and allied schemes for minorities	INR 79 crore	INR 30 crore
Budget for education empowerment for minorities	INR 2,515 crore	INR 1,689 crore
Nai Manzil (Skill development training)	INR 235 crore	INR 10 lakh
USTAD (Skill development training)	INR 7 crore	INR 10 lakh
Research schemes for minorities	INR 41 crore	INR 20 crore
Total funding allotted to different skill development and livelihood programmes	INR 491 crore	INR 64.40 crore
Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities	INR 160 crore	INR 10 crore

Additionally, there has been a nearly 50% reduction in the funding for special minority programmes, which include:

• Research, studies, publicity, monitoring, and evaluation of development schemes for minorities
• Schemes for conservation and protection of the heritage of minorities
• Schemes for containing the population decline of minorities

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Education Budget 2023 – FAQs

Q1) How much funding has been allocated to the post-matric scholarship programme for students from Scheduled Castes (SC) in the Union Budget 2023?

The central government has set aside INR 6,359.14 crore, an increase from INR 5,660 crore in 2022, for the post-matric scholarship programme for students from Scheduled Castes (SC) in the Union Budget 2023.

Q2) How much funding has been allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the Union Budget 2023?

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has been allocated INR 3,097 crore in the Union Budget 2023. 

Q3) How much funding has been allocated to pre-matric scholarships for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Denotified Tribes (DNTs) in the Union Budget 2023?

The Union Budget 2023 has significantly cut funding for pre-matric scholarships for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), and Denotified Tribes (DNTs).