SHREYAS Scheme

SHREYAS Scheme

SHREYAS (Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme) SHREYAS is a comprehensive scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment aimed at providing educational empowerment to Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) students in India. The initiative focuses on helping students from these communities by offering fellowships and interest subsidies on educational loans, enabling them to access quality higher education, both domestically and abroad.

Key Objectives and Features of SHREYAS:

1. Umbrella Scheme: SHREYAS serves as an umbrella scheme that includes various sub-schemes for the educational upliftment of OBC and Economically Backward Class (EBC) students. These sub-schemes provide financial assistance for pursuing higher education, covering tuition fees, academic allowances, and even international study programs.
2. Interest Subsidy for Overseas Studies: The scheme also offers interest subsidies for educational loans for students wishing to study abroad, making international education more accessible to underprivileged communities.

Sub-Schemes under SHREYAS:

1. Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs:
   • Objective: To provide high-quality coaching for economically disadvantaged SC and OBC students for competitive exams and admission into technical and professional institutions.
   • Income Ceiling: Family income under the scheme is capped at ₹8 lakh per annum.
   • Slot Allocation: 3500 slots are allotted annually, with 30% reserved for females in both categories.
   • SC:OBC Allocation Ratio: 70:30, ensuring equitable access to both categories.
   • Outcomes: From 2014-15 to 2022-23, 19,995 beneficiaries have benefited from this scheme.
2. Top-Class Education for SCs:
   • Objective: To promote quality education for SC students in premier institutions beyond the 12th grade.
   • Income Ceiling: Family income limit is set at ₹8 lakh per annum.
   • Coverage: 266 higher education institutions, including prestigious institutes like IITs, IIMs, and NITs.
   • Scholarships: Covers tuition fees, non-refundable charges, academic allowances, and other educational expenses.
   • Outcomes: From 2014-15 to 2022-23, 21,988 beneficiaries have benefited from this scheme.
3. National Overseas Scheme for SCs:
   • Objective: Provides financial assistance to SC students, De-notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, landless agricultural laborers, and traditional artisans to pursue master’s and Ph.D. courses abroad.
   • Eligibility: Family income (including the student’s) should be less than ₹8 lakh per annum, with more than 60% marks in the qualifying examination. The student must be below 35 years of age and have secured admission to top 500 QS-ranked foreign institutions.
   • Scholarships: Covers tuition fees, maintenance and contingency allowances, visa fees, and airfares.
   • Outcomes: From 2014-15 to 2022-23, 950 beneficiaries have benefited from this scheme.
4. National Fellowship for SC Students:
   • Objective: Provides financial support to SC students pursuing M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees in Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences at recognized Indian universities and institutions.
   • Eligibility: Candidates who have qualified for the National Eligibility Test (NET-JRF) or the Junior Research Fellowship for Science stream (UGC-CSIR Joint Test).
   • Allocation: 2000 new slots per year, with 500 for the science stream and 1500 for Humanities and Social Sciences.

Other Education Schemes in India:
Apart from SHREYAS, several other government initiatives contribute to the educational development of various segments of the population:

1. National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL): This initiative aims to enhance the quality of education in engineering and technology through online courses, providing access to knowledge for students across the country.
2. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: A scheme aimed at addressing issues of gender inequality by promoting education for girls and ensuring their safety and empowerment.
3. PM SHRI Schools: The Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) initiative focuses on providing high-quality education with special emphasis on technology, infrastructure, and modern teaching methods in government schools.
4. National Means cum Merit Scholarship (NMMS): A scholarship scheme that provides financial assistance to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who excel academically in secondary school.
5. Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan: A program aimed at ensuring all schools have proper sanitation facilities, including toilets, to encourage girls to attend school and improve hygiene.
6. Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): These schools are designed to provide quality education to tribal students, with a focus on preserving cultural identity while promoting academic excellence.

Key Takeaways
The SHREYAS initiative and its associated sub-schemes play a critical role in making higher education accessible to marginalized communities, including SC, OBC, and economically backward students. By providing financial assistance, coaching, and scholarships, it enables students to pursue quality education, both domestically and abroad. Alongside SHREYAS, other educational schemes also contribute significantly to India's goal of fostering inclusivity, empowerment, and skill development among its diverse population.

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