Recent data on scholarships under the Pradhan Mantri Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (PMVKY) has raised concern, showing a 48% fall in Scheduled Tribe (ST) students receiving Post-Matric aid between 2022&ndash;23 and 2024&ndash;25, compared to Pre-Matric beneficiaries.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs reports 6.35 lakh Pre-Matric recipients against just 3.28 lakh Post-Matric. District data reflects this gap: Ahmedabad had 42,845 Pre-Matric and only 2,727 Post-Matric; Banaskantha fell from 51,701 to 10,675; Surat from 58,784 to 26,986; Dahod from 75,917 to 57,624; and Valsad from 62,666 to 36,228. No district shows parity.
Educationists link the decline to Class 10 failures and dropouts in Classes 11&ndash;12. Prof. Hemant Shah called the trend &ldquo;concerning,&rdquo; noting that out of 12 lakh Class 10 candidates, only 6&ndash;7 lakh move to Class 11, with 1&ndash;2 lakh dropping out. Girls and SC, ST, and OBC students are most affected. Official data shows ST pass rates at 63.5%, with dropout rates after Class 10 averaging 23&ndash;24%, though slightly reduced to 21% in 2023&ndash;24.
The Gujarat government highlights increased investment, with Rs 5,120 crore allocated to tribal development in 2025, 60% for education. Director Ashish Kumar said budgets grew 15% year-on-year, with schemes like Freeship Cards helping low-income SC/ST students in self-financed institutions by covering tuition, hostel fees, and allowances.
However, policy changes have also impacted numbers. From 2024&ndash;25, the Centre ended Post-Matric scholarships for ST students admitted under management quotas in technical and professional courses, affecting 3,700 nursing, pharmacy, engineering, MBA, and MCA students. Minister Kuber Dindor clarified the scheme continues for government-quota admissions.
In June 2025, the state disbursed Rs 724 crore via DBT to 13 lakh students, though PMVKY was excluded. Despite higher funding, the sharp disparity between Pre-Matric and Post-Matric beneficiaries points to ongoing gaps in retention and scholarship access for tribal students in higher education.

Tribal Scholarship Gap Widening Across Gujarat

Post-Matric scholarship beneficiaries among ST students fall 48% since 2022

Tribal Scholarship Gap Widening Across Gujarat

Post-Matric scholarship beneficiaries among ST students fall 48% since 2022

September 27, 2025 | 16:01 IST