Ministry lists ongoing schemes, no new time-bound plan for expanding education aid

The Ministry responded by detailing existing schemes, financial allocations, and enrollment statistics.

Asked and answered by: Asked by: Shri Ram Shiromani Verma (MP); Answered by: Ministry of Education (Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi)

What the government said

• In FY 2025-26, approximately 1.09 crore scholarships were provided for Post-Matric and Higher Education.
• Complete tuition fee waiver is provided at IITs and NITs for SC, ST, PwD, and students with family income below ₹1 lakh; 2/3rd remission for income between ₹1-5 lakh.
• Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) has disbursed ₹24,977.62 crores in loans to Centrally Funded Institutions since 2017.
• Union Budget 2026-27 proposes establishing one Girls' Hostel in every district.
• SWAYAM platform has over 20,000 course deliveries and cumulative enrolments exceeding 6 crores.
• SATHEE portal has registered more than 21 lakh learners for competitive exam preparation.
• One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) provides access to over 13,000 journals for 7,499 institutions.
• PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme (launched Nov 2024) has sanctioned 1,12,817 collateral-free loans totaling ₹15,634.78 crore as of July 2026.
• Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education increased from 23.7 in 2014-15 to 30 in 2023-24.

Also in the document

• The answer does not specify a new 'time-bound action plan' with specific deadlines, but rather lists ongoing initiatives and budget proposals for 2026-27.
• The response cites AISHE data 2023-24 for enrollment and gender ratio figures, noting a rise in female STEM enrollment from 38.4% to 44% between 2014-15 and 2023-24.