Madhya Pradesh government is preparing to launch a scholarship scheme to provide financial assistance to meritorious children of construction workers for higher education and competitive examination preparation. Under the proposed ‘Bhavan Evam Anya Sannirman Shramik Shri Medha Chhatra Unnayan Yojana’, eligible students will receive ₹7,500 per month, along with assistance for coaching, hostel and educational expenses.
The Madhya Pradesh government is preparing to introduce the ‘Bhavan Evam Anya Sannirman Shramik Shri Medha Chhatra Unnayan Yojana’ to provide better higher education opportunities to children of construction workers. The draft of the scheme has been prepared and is to be sent for gazette notification. The government has proposed implementing it this year.
According to Labour Minister Prahlad Singh Patel, discussions were held in meetings of the Building and Other Construction Workers Board and the Labour Welfare Board on providing assistance to meritorious children of worker families for education and competitive examination preparation. The scheme was prepared following these discussions.
Under the scheme, eligible students will receive financial assistance of ₹7,500 every month. The amount can be used for coaching fees, commuting and other education-related requirements.
The scheme is initially being prepared for implementation on a trial basis. According to the Labour Minister, assistance has been proposed for 500 children from the Building and Other Construction Workers Board and 100 children from the Labour Welfare Board. However, under the detailed provisions of the scheme, a maximum of 500 students will be selected every year.
If the initial phase produces good results, the government will consider increasing the cutoff and the number of beneficiaries in the future.
The scheme will not be available to all children of construction workers. Applicants will have to meet specified eligibility conditions. The student's mother or father must be a registered construction worker with the concerned board. The worker must also have been registered for the prescribed period and have a record of working for at least 90 days.
The student must have secured at least 80% marks in Class 10. Selection will be based on a combined merit list of students from the Madhya Pradesh Board and CBSE. A maximum of 500 students will be selected every year, with 20% of the seats reserved for girl students.
After selection under the scheme, students will have to maintain the prescribed academic performance for continued assistance. They will be required to secure at least 75% marks in Class 12. To continue receiving benefits, they will also have to apply online on time every year.
The scheme aims to provide financial support to students who perform well academically but may face difficulties due to the expenses involved in preparing for competitive examinations and pursuing higher education.
Selected students will receive not only monthly financial assistance but also support for various educational expenses incurred during higher education. These will include tuition fees, books, hostel expenses and other educational costs.
Assistance will also be provided towards coaching fees for entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE and CLAT. The provision is aimed at providing meritorious children from worker families with an opportunity to prepare for admission to better institutions.
The scheme is currently being prepared for launch with a limited number of students. Selection will be based on a combined merit list, meaning that meeting the eligibility criteria alone will not guarantee a student a benefit under the scheme.
The Labour Minister has described the initial implementation as a trial. If the scheme produces better results for students, the number of beneficiaries may be increased in the future.
