IndiaPosted at: Oct 15 2026 9:31PM


PAC flags scholarship delays of up to 89 months for SC students, warns of action against six states

New Delhi, Oct 15 (UNI) The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has flagged prolonged delays in disbursing pre-matric and post-matric scholarships to Scheduled Caste (SC) students, with beneficiaries waiting for as long as 48 months for pre-matric dues and 89 months for post-matric payments, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, who also chairs the committee, said on Thursday.
In a statement, Venugopal said the audit had also uncovered instances in which income and caste eligibility criteria remained unverified, while payments were made to non-SC beneficiaries, even as eligible students continued to wait for their scholarships.
The committee examined the implementation of the schemes at its meeting and expressed concern over deficiencies in delivering financial assistance intended to help SC students pursue their education.
Venugopal said the Chief Secretaries of six poorly performing states had been summoned to appear before the committee and give oral evidence, but none attended.
“The Committee has taken serious note of this as contempt and will bring it to the notice of the Hon’ble Speaker for action under the privilege rules,” he said.
Emphasising the consequences of delayed payments for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Venugopal said, “For a Dalit child, a scholarship decides whether the classroom stays within reach.”
He asserted that the PAC considered the delivery of social justice a constitutional obligation and would hold the concerned state governments and ministries accountable until every eligible student received the amount due to them.
The findings have raised fresh concerns over the monitoring and implementation of scholarship schemes designed to reduce financial barriers to education and prevent students from marginalised communities from being forced to discontinue their studies.
The prolonged delays, lapses in verifying beneficiaries’ eligibility and alleged payments to ineligible recipients have also highlighted questions about administrative accountability and safeguards to ensure that public funds reach their intended beneficiaries.
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Tags: #PAC flags scholarship delays of up to 89 months for SC students# warns of action against six states
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