Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme: 2.44 lakh SC students apply for study scheme in Punjab, highest in 4 years

According to the data obtained from the Social Justice Department, 1,76,438 SC students got the benefit under PMSS in 2020-21, as against 2,04,783 in 2019-20. In 2018-19, the number of such students was 2,30,716. However, in 2021-22, already 2.44 lakh students have applied under this scheme. The portal for registration under the scheme is open till March 31, 2022. The authorities expect around 2.50 lakh students will avail the benefit of the scheme this year. Freeship cards have been issued to around 2.02 lakh students so far after scrutiny by three-member committees at subdivision level.

“When the Centre stopped completely funding this scheme in 2017-18, there was not much scrutiny. Several private colleges were indulging in fake admissions because of which the number of the genuine SC students was quite less. In the past two-three years, following proper audit, several things were revised to ensure only genuine SC students availed benefit of this scheme,” said a senior officer of the department, adding that even fee capping was initiated in private colleges.

“Earlier, if the fee of a course in government colleges was Rs 20,000, the private colleges were charging Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 for the same. Now, there is no such disparity,” he said.

The officer attributed the popularity of the scheme to freeship card and transfer of money in students’ accounts.

Varjit Kaur, president of Punjab Students Union (PSU)’s Jalandhar unit, and Mangaljit Pandori, the press secretary of PSU, maintain that due to the revised scheme, now there are more checks and balances.

Dr Gurpinder Singh Samra, principal of Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, who is also the president of Principals Association of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, points out that in their college this session, the students’ number under PMSS has reached over 1,300, which is higher that 1,230 last year.

In government colleges in Gurdaspur, Ropar, Fazilka and Faridkot, the number of SC students has registered an increase as compared to previous years, said Ranbir Singh, president of PSU. “Now we are waiting for the government to release money in the accounts of the students so that universities get the amount and release the roll numbers for exams of this semester,” said Samra, adding that the Punjab government had assured to pay the state government’s 40 per cent share in two instalments but this money is yet to be released.

What is a freseship card?

The freeship card has been introduced in the revised PMSS scheme by the central government. Issued by the state governments or UT administration, the card entitles a student, eligible for scholarship under this scheme, to take admission in any institution, without prepayment of tuition fee and hostel fee. This card should be issued only to those whose parents’ or guardians’ income from all sources does not exceed Rs 2.50 lakh per annum during the last financial year.

What is the revised Scheme?

The Centre revised this scheme – Dr B R Ambedkar SC PMSS – in October 2020 and it made effective from academic session 2020-21. The detailed guidelines were issued in March this year, according to which there is a 60:40 sharing ratio between the Centre and the states. The Centre will release its share after the state does so. As in 2020-21, the total liability of the scheme was Rs 378 crore out of which Punjab released its share of Rs 153.81 crore first and then the remaining Rs 224 crore was released by the Centre.

Earlier, this amount used to be released in two accounts as tuition fee used to be credited in the college’s account and maintenance allowance used to go in the account of the students. But now the entire amount is credited to the student’s account and then the student has to pay the tuition fee to the colleges from their accounts.

Earlier, the scheme was fully sponsored by the Centre till 2017-2018 . In April 2018, the Central government said that now the state government and UT administration will bear the liabilities of this scheme. The state can reimburse the amount if the total demand of the state exceeds the ‘committed liablity’ of the terminal year, i.e. 2017-18 of the scheme period.

Punjab still owes huge balance to colleges

According to the Social Justice Department, Rs 1,563.77 crore balance of the Punjab colleges private, aided and government, is pending towards the state government from the year 2017-18 to 2019-20. Former chief minister Amarinder Singh had written to the Centre that the state does not have the means to bear this Rs 4,00 to Rs 5,00 crore liability annually and the Centre should reimburse the pending amount for three years. But Punjab did not meet the condition of 2018 PMSS because of its annual liability in these three years (before revised policy came into being in 2020) was below the ‘committed liablity’ of the terminal year.