Government Strengthens Scholarship Delivery through Direct Benefit Transfer for SC and OBC Students.
The Government continues to strengthen educational support for students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) through Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has made the disbursal process
simpler, faster and more transparent by transferring scholarship assistance directly into the Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.
During 2025–26, ₹30.81 crore was released to SC and OBC students under these scholarship schemes in East Godavari district. This included ₹20.80 crore under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students and ₹2.38 crore under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and Others. Additionally, ₹6.83 crore was released under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC students and ₹0.80 crore under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for OBC students. Available beneficiary data for 2025–26 indicates that 44,746 students received assistance under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs, while 32,813 students were covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and Others. The corresponding figures under the Post-Matric and Pre-Matric Scholarship Schemes for OBC students were 13,658 and 1,997, respectively.
Constituency-wise data for the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and Others is not maintained on the National Scholarship Portal. Therefore, the figures of 44,746 and 32,813 represent combined data for East Godavari, Eluru and Kakinada districts, as provided by the National Scholarship Portal–National Informatics Centre.
Applications under the scholarship schemes are invited through designated online portals operated by States and Union Territories. The release of the Central share is contingent upon the disbursal of the State or Union Territory share and the submission of finally verified beneficiary data to the National Scholarship Portal. States and Union Territories, as implementing agencies, determine the modalities for inviting, processing and verifying applications, integrating relevant databases and managing other aspects of implementation. The DBT mechanism has strengthened accurate targeting, improved efficiency and ensured that financial assistance reaches eligible students directly.
Issues concerning the implementation of scholarship schemes, including delays in processing renewal applications, are regularly taken up with States, Union Territories and other stakeholders for timely resolution. The schemes are also monitored through national-level Chintan Shivirs, regional meetings and national conferences involving officials and concerned stakeholders.
