Scholarships released for tribal students, says Sandhya Rani

Minister for Tribal Welfare Gummadi Sandhya Rani on Thursday announced the release of scholarships for tribal students, reaffirming the State government’s commitment to strengthening tribal education and ensuring financial assistance reaches eligible beneficiaries.

The Minister stated that the government’s objective was to empower tribal students by improving infrastructure in schools and hostels, strengthening medical facilities, and ensuring access to nutritious food. These measures, she said, were aimed at building confidence among students and enabling them to pursue education without fear.

Referring to post-matric scholarships, Ms. Sandhya Rani stated that the coalition government had accorded priority to clearing the pending dues left by the previous government and resolved them promptly. She added that funds were released transparently to ensure fairness and justice for all eligible students.

For the 2023–24 academic year, while the previous government had released only Rs 18.67 crore, the coalition government cleared dues for three quarters by releasing Rs 71.67 crore, benefiting 69,227 students. The amounts were directly credited to the bank accounts of the students’ mothers.

During the 2024–25 academic year, scholarship funds towards reimbursement of tuition fees amounting to Rs 85.67 crore were credited to college accounts, while maintenance charges of Rs 9.11 crore were deposited into the bank accounts of students’ mothers. A total of 42,203 students benefited during this period.

For the 2025–26 academic year, the release of scholarship funds is under way. So far, Rs 100.93 crore has been disbursed, benefiting 59,297 students. Ms. Sandhya Rani said the government remained committed to timely scholarship releases.