Scholarship dues under ST scholarship schemes

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs briefed the Rajya Sabha on four ST scholarship schemes – Post‑Matric, National Scholarship (Top Class), National Fellowship (NFST) and National Overseas Scholarship. The Post‑Matric scheme is centrally sponsored and administered by states/UTs, with scholarship disbursed via DBT; the Ministry does not hold data on pending dues to colleges. The National Scholarship (Top Class) is a central‑sector scheme; Annexure‑I lists pending dues to students (mainly Aadhaar‑bank linking issues) and to institutions (tuition/ admission fees) for academic years 2021‑22 to 2025‑26, with specific amounts and numbers of colleges affected. NFST and NOS have no pending claims reported. The Ministry monitors pending payments and pursues PFMS compliance for timely releases.