Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS)
Context:
The implementation of the Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS) has been proposed for the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Relevance:
GS-02 (Government policies and interventions)
About the SHREYAS Scheme:
This scheme encompasses two components:
- National Fellowship for OBC Students
- Dr. Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs).
Objective:
- The primary objective of the scheme is to empower OBC and EBC students by providing fellowships (financial assistance) for acquiring quality higher education and offering interest subsidies on educational loans for overseas studies.
National Fellowship for OBC Students:
- This segment of the scheme offers financial assistance to OBC students pursuing quality higher education, leading to degrees such as M.Phil and Ph.D. in recognized universities, research institutions, and scientific institutions.
Aims to support 1000 Junior Research Fellows (JRF) annually.
- Eligibility criteria include qualification in either of the following exams: National Eligibility Test – Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) of UGC (for Humanities/Social Sciences) or UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) NET-JRF Joint Test (for Sciences). The scheme covers all institutions/universities recognized by UGC.
Implementing agency:
- National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation.
Other details:
- The fellowship rate for JRF is Rs. 31,000 per month, and for SRF, it is Rs. 35,000 per month.
- Dr. Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs):
- This Central Sector Scheme provides interest subsidy to students belonging to OBC and EBC categories on the interest payable during the moratorium period for education loans for overseas studies at the Masters, M.Phil., and Ph.D. levels.
- Eligibility requires the total income of the parents of the EBC candidate not exceeding Rs 5 lakh per annum.
- Students benefiting from this scheme will not receive the interest subsidy if they renounce Indian citizenship during the loan tenure.
