SRINAGAR: Nine Scheduled Tribe students from Jammu and Kashmir have received financial assistance to pursue higher education abroad since 2015 under the Union Government’s National Overseas Scholarship scheme, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday, highlighting the limited but consistent participation of the Union Territory in the centrally funded programme.
In a written reply to a starred question, the Ministry said the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) is the only Central Sector scheme specifically designed to support tribal students aspiring to study abroad. The scheme provides financial assistance to 20 eligible Scheduled Tribe students every year for Master’s, PhD and post-doctoral studies at foreign institutions, subject to an annual parental income ceiling of Rs 6 lakh.
Official data placed before Parliament shows that students from Jammu and Kashmir have been selected intermittently under the scheme over the past decade, with a total of nine beneficiaries recorded across different years since 2015. While the numbers remain small compared to some northeastern and central Indian states, the Ministry said the scheme is entirely merit-based and limited by the fixed annual cap on beneficiaries at the national level.
At the all-India level, the Ministry has steadily increased financial support for the scheme. Budget allocation and expenditure under NOS rose from Rs 0.72 crore in 2015–16 to Rs 6 crore in 2024–25, with funds fully utilised each year. Over the last ten years, annual spending increased nearly tenfold, reflecting higher costs of overseas education and growing demand among tribal students.
The Ministry clarified that the scheme has neither been discontinued nor had its benefits reduced since 2015. Under NOS, selected students receive comprehensive support covering tuition fees, visa charges, annual maintenance allowance, medical insurance and return air passage by economy class. Payments are routed through Indian missions and embassies abroad, which directly settle dues with foreign universities and then seek reimbursement from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Responding to concerns over delays, the government said no scholarship payments are pending under the scheme. Since funds are disbursed via the Ministry of External Affairs after verification of claims, individual beneficiaries do not receive payments directly, and there are no arrears at the level of the Tribal Affairs Ministry.
Nationally, states such as Manipur, Telangana and Maharashtra have recorded the highest number of beneficiaries over the years, reflecting stronger awareness and application rates. In contrast, the relatively modest uptake from Jammu and Kashmir underscores continuing challenges faced by tribal students in accessing international education opportunities, including limited exposure, documentation hurdles and awareness gaps.
While the Ministry maintained that NOS remains open to all eligible Scheduled Tribe students across the country, education observers in Jammu and Kashmir note that sustained outreach and institutional support will be crucial if more tribal youth from the region are to compete successfully for the limited overseas scholarship slots in the coming years.
