UP doubles scholarship seats for farmers' children, hikes grant to ₹60,000
Synopsis
Uttar Pradesh has doubled scholarship seats for farmers' children at agricultural institutions and raised the annual grant by ₹24,000 to ₹60,000 — the biggest structural expansion of the Mukhyamantri Krishak Chhatravritti Yojana since it launched in 2017-18, when it had aided 6,454 students with ₹22.90 crore over eight years.
Key Takeaways
The Yogi Adityanath government has doubled scholarship seats under the Mukhyamantri Krishak Chhatravritti Yojana for children of farmers and agricultural labourers.
Per-student annual grant raised from ₹36,000 to ₹60,000 — an increase of ₹24,000 per year.
Seats at each agricultural university/institute increase from 45 to 90 ; at each agricultural college from 15 to 30 .
The scheme covers students at 11 agricultural universities/institutes and 61 agricultural colleges across Uttar Pradesh .
Between 2017-18 and 2025-26 , 6,454 students received approximately ₹22.90 crore under the scheme.
Eligible disciplines include agriculture, horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry, and Home Science.
The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has doubled the number of scholarship seats available to children of farmers and agricultural labourers pursuing higher education, while also raising the annual scholarship amount under the 'Mukhyamantri Krishak Chhatravritti Yojana' (Chief Minister's Farmers' Scholarship Scheme) from ₹36,000 to ₹60,000 — an increase of ₹24,000 per year, officials said on Sunday, 18 October 2026.
What Has Changed Under the Scheme
Under the revised framework, 90 students — up from 45 — at each agricultural university and institute will now be eligible for the merit-based grant. At agricultural colleges, the number of beneficiaries per institution rises from 15 to 30. The scheme is administered by the State Agricultural Produce Market Board (Mandi Parishad) and covers students enrolled in 11 agricultural universities and institutes as well as 61 agricultural colleges across the state.
At the course level, undergraduate agriculture slots at universities have been expanded from 25 to 50, and undergraduate Home Science from 6 to 12. Postgraduate agriculture seats have been raised from 10 to 20, and postgraduate Home Science from 4 to 8. At agricultural colleges, undergraduate slots rise from 10 to 20 and postgraduate from 5 to 10.
Who Is Eligible and What It Covers
The scheme targets meritorious children of farmers and agricultural labourers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Beyond core agriculture, it also extends to students pursuing horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry, and related disciplines — broadening its reach beyond conventional agri-courses.
The higher annual grant of ₹60,000 is intended to cover education-related expenses including tuition, accommodation, and study materials, reducing the financial burden on farm families that have historically struggled to fund higher education for their children.
Track Record Since 2017
According to the Mandi Parishad, a total of 6,454 students received scholarships worth approximately ₹22.90 crore under this scheme between the financial years 2017-18 and 2025-26. The latest revision is the most significant structural expansion since the scheme's inception, both in seat count and per-student quantum.
Jitendra Pratap Singh, Director of the Mandi Parishad, credited the state government's sustained focus on improving opportunities for students from agricultural backgrounds as the driving force behind the revision.
Significance and What Comes Next
This comes amid a broader push by state governments to improve rural educational mobility, with agricultural education often seen as an underleveraged pathway out of farm-income volatility. By tying the scholarship to merit rather than income alone, the scheme also incentivises academic performance within the farming community. With the new slots effective immediately, students enrolling in the current academic cycle at participating institutions stand to benefit from the enhanced grant.
Point of View
But the scheme's merit-based selection criterion deserves scrutiny — farming families with the most pressing financial need are not always those producing the top academic performers. The ₹22.90 crore disbursed over eight years also signals a relatively modest fiscal commitment against the scale of UP's agrarian population. The real measure of impact will be whether expanded seats translate into actual enrolment gains at agricultural colleges, many of which already struggle with vacancies. If the revised slots go unfilled, the headline numbers will outpace the ground reality.
NationPress
18 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mukhyamantri Krishak Chhatravritti Yojana?
It is a merit-based scholarship scheme run by the Uttar Pradesh government through the State Agricultural Produce Market Board (Mandi Parishad) for children of farmers and agricultural labourers pursuing higher education in agriculture and related disciplines. It currently covers students at 11 agricultural universities and 61 agricultural colleges across the state.
How much scholarship will students receive under the revised scheme?
Each selected student will now receive ₹60,000 annually, up from the earlier ₹36,000 — an increase of ₹24,000 per year. The grant is merit-based and awarded to eligible students at participating institutions.
How many seats have been added under the expanded scheme?
The number of scholarship seats at each agricultural university and institute has been doubled from 45 to 90, and at each agricultural college from 15 to 30. At the course level, undergraduate agriculture slots at universities go from 25 to 50, while postgraduate agriculture slots rise from 10 to 20.
Who is eligible for the Uttar Pradesh farmers' scholarship scheme?
Meritorious children of farmers and agricultural labourers from economically disadvantaged families are eligible. The scheme covers undergraduate and postgraduate students in agriculture, Home Science, horticulture, forestry, animal husbandry, and related disciplines at recognised state agricultural institutions.
How many students have benefited from the scheme so far?
According to the Mandi Parishad, a total of 6,454 students received scholarships worth approximately ₹22.90 crore under the scheme between the financial years 2017-18 and 2025-26. The latest expansion is expected to significantly increase the number of annual beneficiaries going forward.
