Rajasthan CM's Office: 8.55 Lakh SC/ST Students Get Scholarships
Synopsis
The Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan announced on 12 August 2026 that over 8.55 lakh students — 4.25 lakh from Scheduled Castes and 4.30 lakh from Scheduled Tribes — have been covered under centrally sponsored post-matric scholarship schemes under CM Bhajan Lal Sharma's administration.
Key Takeaways
Approximately 4.25 lakh Scheduled Caste students have benefited under the SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme in Rajasthan.
Approximately 4.30 lakh Scheduled Tribe students have been covered under the ST Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme.
The combined beneficiary count exceeds 8.55 lakh students studying beyond Class 10.
Both schemes are centrally sponsored programmes dating to the 1950s-60s, implemented by state governments.
The announcement was made by the Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan on 12 August 2026 , tagging CM Bhajan Lal Sharma .
The post was hashtagged #आपणो_अग्रणी_राजस्थान , the BJP government's 'Leading Rajasthan' branding.
More than 8.55 lakh students from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in Rajasthan are receiving post-matric scholarship support — a number that puts the scale of educational upliftment under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma's administration in sharp relief. The Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan shared the figures on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, tagging Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and anchoring the announcement under the hashtag #आपणो_अग्रणी_राजस्थान ('Our Leading Rajasthan').
Who is benefiting — and by how much
The post states that approximately 4.25 lakh students have been covered under the Scheduled Caste Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme (Anusuchit Jati Uttar Matric Chhatravritti Yojana), while 4.30 lakh students from Scheduled Tribe communities have benefited under the parallel Scheduled Tribe Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme (Anusuchit Janjati Uttar Matric Chhatravritti Yojana). Together, the two figures add up to over 8.55 lakh beneficiaries — students studying beyond Class 10 who receive financial assistance to continue their education.Decades-old schemes, state-level execution
Both schemes are centrally sponsored programmes with roots stretching back to the 1950s and 1960s, designed to operationalise constitutional guarantees of educational access for marginalised communities. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment oversees the SC scheme; the Ministry of Tribal Affairs coordinates the ST equivalent. Rajasthan, as an implementing state, channels funds to eligible students and periodically reports coverage figures — a practice that predates the current administration but has been amplified as a performance signal under the BJP government that took office in December 2023.What the numbers signal for Rajasthan's education push
For a state where SC and ST populations together form a substantial share of the demographic base, scholarship reach at this scale carries real consequence. Every student covered is one less family choosing between fees and food. The Rajasthan government's decision to publicise these numbers under the 'Agrani Rajasthan' ('Leading Rajasthan') banner frames welfare delivery as a governance achievement — a deliberate political signal, but also a verifiable claim that the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment will be expected to back with disbursement data. The real test, as always, lies not in beneficiary counts alone but in whether funds reach accounts on time and in full — a question that annual state budget presentations and departmental reports will ultimately answer.Point of View
SC, and ST voters. The 'Agrani Rajasthan' hashtag signals that these numbers are being packaged as part of a broader governance narrative ahead of future electoral cycles. The sharper policy question is whether disbursement quality — timeliness, completeness, grievance redress — matches the headline beneficiary figures, which only audit and budget data can confirm.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme in Rajasthan?
The Scheduled Caste Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme is a centrally sponsored programme that provides financial assistance to SC students pursuing education beyond Class 10. Rajasthan implements the scheme and has reported approximately 4.25 lakh beneficiaries as of August 2026.
How many ST students got scholarships in Rajasthan in 2026?
According to the Chief Minister's Office of Rajasthan, approximately 4.30 lakh Scheduled Tribe students have been covered under the ST Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme.
Who oversees post-matric scholarships for SC and ST students in India?
The SC Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme is overseen by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, while the ST scheme is coordinated by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Both are centrally sponsored and implemented by state governments.
What is Bhajan Lal Sharma's role in Rajasthan?
Bhajan Lal Sharma is the Chief Minister of Rajasthan from the Bharatiya Janata Party, in office since December 2023.
What does Agrani Rajasthan mean?
'Agrani Rajasthan' translates to 'Leading Rajasthan' and is a branding hashtag used by the current BJP state government to frame its governance and welfare announcements.
