Pre-matric scholarship: New hope for students as Chief Minister intervenes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government may introduce a scholarship for backward class pre-matric students from classes 1 to 8. The Chief Minister has directed to examine whether the state can provide scholarships on its own in the event of suspension of central allocation. The new guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment have come as a blow to backward students.

According to the current norms, 50 percent of the amount was provided by the central government and 50 percent by the state government. Rs 1500 each was given to OBC, EBC and DNT students whose income limit is less than Rs 2.5 lakhs. From now on only students of class 9 and 10 will get this. The Chief Minister intervened in a situation where children from classes one to eight were left out of the central scholarship scheme.