The Union Budget 2025, presented in front of the Parliament on the first of February, introduced major cuts on several educational schemes supporting students from tribal and minority communities.
One such scheme that saw heavy cuts is the National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of Scheduled Tribe (ST) Students, whose budget has witnessed a deduction of 99.99%. The allocation for the scheme dropped from 40 crore in 2024 to 0.02 crore in the Budget Estimates for 2025. The education scheme for Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities also saw a reduction from ₹2 crore in revised estimates of 2025 to 0.01 crore in the budget estimates of 2025.
The National Overseas Scheme has also seen a cut by 99.8%, reducing the revised estimate budget from 6 crore in 2024 to a budget of 0.01 crore in 2025.
Similarly, the Pre-Matric Scholarship for Minorities, with an earlier allocation of ₹326.1 crore in the revised estimates of 2024 is only ₹90 crore in BE of 2025. The decrease is by 72.4%. The same is the case with the Post-Matric Scheme for Minority, which has seen a deduction of 69.9%. The allocated budget has been reduced from 1,145.38 crore in the revised estimate for 2024 to 19.41 crore only in the budget estimates of 2025.
Education Scheme Budget Cut by 50 Percent
Other allocations in the schemes like Maulana Azad National Fellowship, Free Coaching and Allied Scheme and the Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loan for Overseas Studies have also seen a reduction of around 50% from last year’s budget estimates.
The government depends on these high cuts in education as part of a streamlining process in the education sector. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, chaired by BJP lawmaker PC Mohan, criticise the Ministry of Minority Affairs’ approval of the changes. The committee also called for expansion in support initiatives like coaching, residency education, etc. This will form access to resources for minorities, equal.
