BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 4th December 2025: Raising concerns over the low revenue earnings of Northeastern states, Member Of Parliament Biplab Kumar Deb urged the Central Government in Parliament to assume full financial responsibility for pre- and post-matric scholarships for students belonging to tribal communities in the region.
Deb stated that to improve educational opportunities and support for tribal students in the Northeast, it is essential that the Centre bear 100% of the expenditure under these scholarship schemes.
At present, the scholarships are funded through a shared model between the Centre and the states.
He further drew the attention of the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs to whether the government has any plans to revise and increase the scholarship amounts, which have remained unchanged since the 2019–20 financial year.
Highlighting the unique challenges of the region, Deb said, “Due to the financial constraints and difficult geographical conditions of the Northeastern states, there is a need for the Centre to take a more proactive role in strengthening education. Increasing the scholarship amount and providing full central funding is extremely important.”
Responding to the concerns, Union Minister Jual Oram clarified that while the Centre currently bears 75% of the cost in most states and the remaining 25% is covered by state governments the Northeast enjoys a 90:10 funding ratio, with 90% financed by the Centre.
However, he added that there is no current proposal to shift to 100% central funding for the scheme in the region.
Regarding the revision of scholarship amounts after 2019–20, the minister said that although there are no pending dues, the government has not yet considered any increase in the scholarship rates.
