Chandigarh, March 21
Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur on Saturday said that the Punjab Government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, remains fully committed to uplifting marginalized sections of society and integrating them into the social mainstream.
The Minister further informed that, moving forward in this direction, a sum of ₹219 crore has already been released during the current financial year under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for 1,91,429 Scheduled Caste students. She said that this reflects the firm commitment of the Mann Government towards the welfare and empowerment of Scheduled Castes and other backward classes.
Highlighting the human aspect of the scheme, Dr. Kaur said, “The Post Matric Scholarship is not just financial assistance, but a ray of hope for thousands of families. For many households, this scheme is enabling children to pursue higher education and build a brighter future. Our government is firmly committed to ensuring that no deserving student is deprived of education due to financial constraints.”
Sharing further details, the Minister said that the Punjab Government had set a target to cover 2.70 lakh students under the scheme during the current financial year, while 2,72,093 applications have already been received. She added that the higher number of applications than the target clearly reflects growing awareness and trust among the public towards the scheme.
The Cabinet Minister further stated that timely disbursement of scholarship funds is being ensured, resulting in a steady increase in the number of beneficiaries compared to previous years. “This initiative is proving to be a significant step towards empowering the youth of Punjab through education,” she added.
