Lucknow, Oct. 18 -- The scholarship process was plagued by bias, delays and corruption in the past, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday. But with the adoption of the technology-based DBT system under PM Modi's leadership, eligible students now receive funds directly into their bank accounts, he remarked. The chief minister made the comment as he distributed over Rs 297.95 crore scholarships to 10,28,205 students via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The event was organised to transfer scholarships to students under the post-matric and pre-matric scholarship programme. The initiative aims to support talented students and remove financial barriers in their education, he added.He announced that scholarships will now be distributed twice a year, in October and January, so that students receive timely assistance. In 2016-17, only 8.64 lakh students benefited from scholarships; today, that number has increased to 62 lakh."Over 3.56 lakh students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes received Rs 114.92 crore, more than 97,000 students from the general category got Rs 29.18 crore, 4.83 lakh students from other backward classes received Rs 126.69 crore, and 90,758 students from the minority community got Rs 27.16 crore through direct benefit transfer," he added. He reiterated that no eligible student in the state will be left without a scholarship. For those who missed out last year due to institutional lapses or technical issues, the portal has been reopened. Once data entry is complete, these students will also receive their scholarships via DBT in a special ceremony. Quoting Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief minister said, "Baba Saheb taught us that only through education can we achieve self-reliance and contribute meaningfully to society." He urged students to follow Ambedkar's example and persevere through challenges. "We no longer lack resources; what we need is hard work, discipline and determination," he added. He shared that in the last eight years, more than 4.27 crore students have benefited from scholarships. Before 2016-17, previous governments had stopped scholarships for SC/ST students."Our government not only restored that scholarship funding for two years at once," he said."Our commitment is clear; there will be no discrimination against any student. Honesty, transparency, and equal opportunity are our government's priorities," he added. Yogi highlighted that the social welfare department is providing an annual pension of Rs 12,000 via DBT to 1.05 crore families in the state. Earlier, beneficiaries received Rs 300 per month every six months through a process riddled with middlemen. "We've increased it to Rs 1,000 per month, ensuring full and direct benefits," he said. The CM also highlighted the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana, under which over four lakh daughters have been married off with government assistance of Rs 1 lakh each.Concluding his address, he extended Diwali greetings to all students and assured that all other eligible students will soon receive their scholarships promptly, ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of education....