As informed by the University Grants Commission, the number of the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) applicants who applied for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowships (RGNF) under the respective schemes was 27,981 and 6,696 respectively during the last five years.
8,041 SC students and 3,370 ST students were awarded new fellowships during the last five years.
Presently, the maximum number of fresh slots to be awarded for each year under the two schemes are as follows:
| Sl. No. | Name of Scheme | Slots |
| 1. | RGNF for SC students | 2000 * |
| 2. | RGNF for ST students | 667 |
* It was increased from 1333 to 2000 from the academic session 2010-11.
During the last three years amount spent by UGC under the Schemes is as under:
| Year | RGNF for SC
( Rs. in crore) |
RGNF for ST
(Rs. in crore) |
| 2009-10 | 62.66 | 30.71 |
| 2010-11 | 141.71 | 70.35 |
| 2011-12 | 59.38 | 26.41 |
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri P. Balram Naik in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha tabled today.
Special Facility Package for SC/ST
The Government has launched a Centrally sponsored pilot scheme called ‘Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Garm Yojana’, for integrated development of 1000 villages having more than 50% Scheduled Castes population. Presently, the Scheme aims to ensure the integrated development of these villages:-
(i) primarily, through convergent implementation of existing Central and State Schemes, and
(ii) through ‘Gap-filling’ central assistance @Rs.20 lakh per village on an average (with states expected to provide a matching contribution), for meeting such requirement of the selected villages as can not be met through (i) above.
At present the scheme is being implemented in five States namely Assam (100 villages), Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu (225 villages each).
Full admissible Central assistance on account of ‘gap-filling’ component has been released to the States. State-wise details of Central assistance released are as follows:-
| S. No. | State | Central Assistance released (Rs. in crore) |
| 1 | Assam | 20.100 |
| 2 | Bihar | 45.225 |
| 3 | Himachal Pradesh | 45.225 |
| 4 | Rajasthan | 45.225 |
| 5 | Tamil Nadu | 45.225 |
| Total | 201.000 |
The targets under the Scheme are expected to be achieved within 3 years.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri P. Balram Naik in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha tabled today.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
