New Delhi, November 29: Stating that RTE covers compulsory education up to class 8th for all students, the government has now limited its pre-matric scholarship scheme meant for backward and minority communities to students of class 9th and 10th.

Earlier, the pre-matric scholarship used to cover education for grades 1 to 8 also belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority communities. The government, in a notice, justified its decision by underlining that the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education (classes I to VIII) to each and every child. National Scholarship Portal Offering Scholarship of Rs 10,000 for College Students? PIB Debunks Fake News, Here’s the Truth Behind the Viral Post.

"Accordingly only students studying in classes IX and X are covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Likewise from 2022-23, the coverage under the pre-matric scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs shall also be for classes IX and X only," the notice said. Students to Be Rewarded With Scholarship Up to Rs 1 Lakh Through National Scholarship Exam? PIB Debunks False News, Reveals Truth Behind Fake Website.

The Institute Nodal Officer (INO)/District Nodal Officer (DNO)/State Nodal Officer (SNO) have been asked to verify the applications only for classes IX and X under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The decision has drawn a sharp reaction from political parties. Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said, for decades, children from SC/ST backgrounds have been getting scholarships from classes 1 to 8 but the government from 2022-23 has stopped the scholarship which is a "conspiracy" against the poor.

"The BJP has been continuously doing such things for the past 8 years whether it was cutting the budget of SC/ST/OBC and minorities or it was about atrocities against them or ending their welfare schemes and now this. We do not accept this. We will run a movement against it. Immediately take back this decision," he said.

BSP leader Kunwar Danish Ali claimed that the government has found a new way to keep these poor children away from education by stopping the scholarship given to minority students (Class 1-8). "Yes, don't forget that educated children take the country forward irrespective of the community they belong to," Ali tweeted.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)