Jammu- The Jammu and Kashmir administration has constituted a panel to formulate a special scholarship policy for over 34,000 students enrolled in seasonal educational centres which operate in highland pastures during the annual migration for six months, an official spokesman said.
The panel will be headed by Special Secretary, Tribal Affairs, Mohammad Harun Malik, the spokesman said.
He said the committee will also co-opt expert members in the panel and submit a report within one week.
According to Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Secretary in Tribal Affairs Department, over 34,000 students have been enrolled in nearly 1,200 seasonal educational centres.
As per a survey conducted in 2021, a population of 6.12 lakh undertakes biannual migration to highland pastures as well as other UTs and states.
The department has initiated the process for formulating a special scholarship scheme focused on seasonal centres in view of low enrolment at primary level and to promote primary education, Choudhary said.
He said the revision of scholarship rates has been pending for more than a decade and there is a need to have a special scheme for migratory students.
He said the department is simultaneously working on revision of scholarship slabs for other pre-matric classes as well. Presently, boy and girl students in primary schools receive a meagre annual scholarship of Rs 450 and Rs 675, respectively.
The tribal affairs department had provided highest ever scholarship of Rs 31.12 crore for financial year 2021-22 ending March 2022 wherein maximum number of tribal students were covered.
The pre-matric budget of Rs 13.50 crore covered students of classes 1 to 8 while Rs 2.22 crore was awarded to classes 9 and 10 students and Rs 15.40 crore to graduate and post-matric students.
The scholarship budget has now been enhanced to a record Rs 45 crore to accommodate a special scholarship scheme for students enrolled in migratory seasonal educational centres and enhancement in other classes as well, the spokesman said.
Besides, steps are also being taken up this year to provide better facilities in the seasonal educational centres, he said.
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