India, Feb. 2 -- The Union Budget 2025 has introduced significant cuts to several education schemes supporting students from tribal and minority communities.

The National Fellowship and Scholarship for higher education of scheduled tribe (ST) students has seen a 99.99% reduction, with its allocation dropping from Rs.240 crore in the revised estimates (RE) for 2024 to just Rs.0.02 crore in the budget estimates (BE) for 2025.

The government defended the cuts as part of streamlining education, while the committee urged for expanded support, including free coaching and residential education, for minority students.

The National Overseas Scholarship Scheme has also been cut by 99.8%, falling from Rs.6 crore in RE 2024 to Rs.0.01 crore in BE ...