PIB Summary- 22th September, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

SHREYAS Scheme

Context
The Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS) initiative has been a cornerstone in India’s efforts to empower students from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) by providing them access to quality education.

SHREYAS: Empowering Education for OBC & EBC Students

• SHREYAS is an umbrella scheme under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• It aims to empower OBC & Economically Backward Class (EBC) students through fellowships and interest subsidies on educational loans for higher education.

Sub-Schemes: The SHREYAS umbrella scheme includes four central sector sub-schemes

• Objective: Provide high-quality coaching to economically disadvantaged SCs and OBCs for competitive exams and technical/professional institution admissions.
• Income Ceiling: Family income capped at 8 lakhs per annum.
• Slot Allocation: 3500 slots allotted annually.
• Gender Inclusivity: 30% slots reserved for females in both categories.
• Allocation Ratio: SC: OBC ratio at 70:30 for equitable access.
• Outcomes: Benefited 19,995 beneficiaries from 2014-15 to 2022-23.

Top-Class Education for SCs:

• Objective: Recognize and promote quality education among SC students beyond the 12th class.
• Income Ceiling: Family income limit set at 8 lakhs per annum.
• Coverage: Includes 266 higher education institutes, including prestigious institutions like IIMs, IITs, and NITs.
• Scholarship: Covers tuition fee, non-refundable charges, academic allowance, and other expenses.
• Outcomes: Benefited 21,988 beneficiaries from 2014-15 to 2022-23.

National Overseas Scheme for SCs:

• Objective: Provide financial assistance to selected students from various categories for pursuing masters and Ph.D. courses abroad.
• Eligibility: Students with family income below Rs. 8 lakhs per annum, securing admission in the top 500 QS ranking foreign institutes/universities.
• Scholarship: Covers tuition fee, maintenance, contingency allowance, visa fee, and airfare.
• Outcomes: Benefited 950 beneficiaries from 2014-15 to 2022-23.

National Fellowship for SC Students:

• Aim: Support SC students pursuing M.Phil/Ph.D. degrees in Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences in Indian Universities/Institutions/Colleges recognized by UGC.
• Eligibility: NET-JRF qualified candidates or Junior Research Fellows for Science stream (UGC-CSIR Joint Test).
• Allocation: Provides 2000 new slots annually (500 for Science and 1500 for Humanities/Social Sciences).

PM Kisan

Context
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare launched an AI chatbot — the first of its kind to be integrated with a major flagship scheme of the central government — for the PM-KISAN Scheme.

About PM KISAN

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme is a Central Sector Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme.
• Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments will be provided to small and marginal farmer families having combined land holding/ownership of upto 2 hectares.
• The Scheme initially provided income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land upto 2 hectares.
• Its ambit was later expanded to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their land holdings. 
• Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children.
• State Government and UT administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
• The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
• There are various Exclusion Categories for the scheme.

Some of the categories of beneficiaries who are NOT eligible for benefit under this scheme are:

• Any institutional land-holders.
• The farmer as well as any member of the family belonging to the following categories:
  • Former and present holders of constitutional posts
  • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers
  • Former or present members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils
  • Former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations
  • Former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
  • Any serving or retired officers as well as employees under the Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments.
  • All retired pensioners who get a monthly pension of Rs.10,000/-or more and belonging to the above category.
  • Any individual who paid their income tax in the last assessment year is not eligible under this scheme.
  • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practices.