An unprecedented annual allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the welfare of minorities in Telangana budget for 2014-15 was earmarked by the TRS government.
The new government has also give its word to earmark Rs one lakh crore for SCs, STs, BCs and minorities in the coming five years.
The break-up of the outlay includes Rs 10,000 crore for minorities, Rs 15,000 crore for STs, Rs 25,000 crore for BCs and Rs 50,000 crore for SCs. This would mean an annual budgetary provision of Rs 20,000 crore for these four groups.
In the undivided AP, in the Vote-on-Account budget for 2014-15, an allocation of Rs 1,027 crore was made for welfare of minorities.
Post bifurcation, the common governor tentatively allocated the funds to the two states–Telangana and residuary AP in the ratio of 42:58 in proportion to their share of population. Based on this ratio, the outlay for minorities would have come to Rs 431 crore for Telangana.
But, the Telangana government has decided to raise this allocation to Rs 1,000 crore, which means more than doubling of the outlay.
This is expected to create a “problem of plenty“for the Minorities Welfare Department officials since they lack the wherewithal in terms of infrastructure, staff and schemes to spend the higher outlay earmarked for them. The bulk of the outlay will have to be set apart for educational schemes and loaning programmes.
Although the MWD is implementing the scholarships and fees reimbursement and loaning schemes with lot of restrictive conditions. And, unless these stipulations are relaxed, it would not be possible to make use of the allocated funds.
The MWD would do well to widen coverage of minority students to more beneficiaries by relaxing age, income and other eligibility criteria in the current year 2014-15.
The number of minority students in the current financial year availing post-matric scholarships and fees reimbursement is estimated to be 1.45 lakh with financial outlay of Rs 269.36 crore.
The total number of beneficiaries (including SCs, STs, BCs and economically backward class) for post-matric scholarships is 14.88 lakh with total outlay of Rs 2,547.82 crore in Telangana State. The number of minority, BC and EBC beneficiaries can go up precipitously if certain restrictive conditions are relaxed.
The annual parental income ceiling is Rs one lakh for minority, BC and EBC students as against Rs two lakh for SCs and STs. For Central post-matric scholarships for minorities and BCs, the income ceiling is Rs two lakh.
For Central merit-cum means scholarships for minorities, the income ceiling is Rs 2.5 lakh. Therefore, it imperative to increase the income ceiling for minority students for post-matric and pre-matric scholarships offered by the State government to Rs two lakh per annum.
Another important issue with regard to post-matric state scholarships and fees reimbursement scheme is the arbitrary maximum age-restriction forced on minority students for pursuing intermediate, graduate, post-graduate and higher courses.
The minorities, handicapped and EBCs have been clubbed into one group with maximum age-limit of 20 years for Intermediate, 25 years for graduate and 30 years for PG and higher courses set for them. Whereas for the other group, consisting of SCs, STs and BCs, the age-limit is 24 years for intermediate, 29 years for degree and 34 years for PG and higher courses.
The government would do well to immediately cancel memo no. 10537/SW .Edn.2/2011 issued by the social welfare (edn) department on 1st November 2011.
Effective from 2013-14 academic years, the government also amended the fees reimbursement scheme by placing an upper limit on fees reimbursement for students other than SCs and STs.
While full fees reimbursement is given to SC and ST students for pursuing pharmacy , engineering, MBA/MCA courses without any upper limit, the minority , BC and EBC students get maximum fees reimbursement of Rs 35,000 per annum for engineering, Rs 31,000 for pharmacy and Rs 27,000 for MBA/MCA courses. SC and ST students get reimbursement up to Rs 88,000 for MBA/MCA courses, Rs 91,700 for pharmacy and Rs 1, 05,000 for engineering.
This restriction puts the minority students to financial destitution. Ironically, minority students performing better in common entrance tests (CETs) get admission in premier colleges where the fees chargeable is very high.
How can a minority student, with parental income of Rs one lakh per annum, is expected to pay the balance fees of Rs 70,000 if he gets only Rs 35,000 from the state for pursuing engineering in a premier college?
This inequitable cap needs to be removed and full fees reimbursement facility extended to minority, BC and EBC students on par with SC and ST students with this academic year.