Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma released 93.7 crore rupees for 96,812 Scheduled Tribe students. This payout represents 40 percent of the total scholarship outlay for the 2025-26 academic year. Funds head straight to student bank accounts via the direct benefit transfer system.
Total spending for the Umbrella Post-Matric Scholarship scheme hits 198.42 crore rupees this year. The central government provided 84.55 crore rupees, while the state added 9.4 crore rupees. The money pays for tuition, hostel fees, and books. The cash hit a snag earlier this year. The Centre set up a Single Nodal Agency system for real-time transfers. Money now moves from the Reserve Bank of India once the state finishes verifications.
Sangma expects the funds to land in accounts within four to five working days. He ordered the Education Department to track failed transactions, citing Aadhaar-seeding issues and incorrect banking data as primary causes. He wants no student left out. At a gathering at Shillong College, the Chief Minister pushed for a mindset shift among the youth. "Let’s be positive. Let’s not be the problem; let’s be part of the solution, at home, in our community, college, state and country," Sangma said.
Officials plan to start the verification process early for next year to avoid repeat delays. The National Scholarship Portal opened on July 3 for the 2026-27 cycle. It remains open until November 30 for pre-matric and post-matric applications.
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