Implemented by: State Governments/ UT Administrations How to apply: States/UTs may apply to Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, as indicated in Annexure-I below.

I. SCOPE
The ST students, because of their educational deficiencies, are unable to take advantage of the various avenues, which have become available through reservation of seats. Consequently, the quota reserved for them in technical and professional courses like Engineering and Medical, remains under-utilized. Some students who are able to get admission in these courses, with relaxed eligibility conditions, often find it difficult either to complete the course or they take more than the specified time for completion of the instructional programme. Their inadequate educational preparation also prevents their employment in occupations where entry is on the basis of competitive examinations.

II. Description of the Scheme and its Objectives
The Scheme of Upgradation of Merit of ST students (including students from Primitive Tribal Groups) provides for 100% Central Assistance to States/UTs for arranging remedial and special coaching for Scheduled Tribes students studying in classes IX to XII. While remedial coaching aims at removing deficiencies in school
subjects, special coaching is provided with a view to prepare students for competitive examinations for entry into professional courses like Engineering and Medical. The main objective of the scheme is to upgrade the  merit of Scheduled Tribe including Primitive Tribal Groups students by providing them with facilities for all-round development through education in residential schools. This is proposed to be done by:
(i) Removing their educational deficiencies.
(ii) Facilitating their entry into professional courses by upgrading their merit so that they can compete with other students for admission to higher education courses and for senior administrative and technical occupations.
(iii) Generating self-confidence and self reliance in them.

III Selection of Schools with hostels.Each State/UT may use its own discretion in deciding numbers and location of schools in different districts/towns on the basis of their requirements. The schools selected under the scheme should have the facilities necessary for all-round development of the child, enough hostel facilities and should have shown good academic results in the past few years consistently. Good schools, particularly in rural areas, may be chosen.
Kendriya Vidyalayas which have hostel facilities may also be chosen for placement of ST students. Only those schools should be selected by the State Government/UT Administration where students belonging to ST communities will feel at home. The selected schools should also be those that are interested and feel involved in improving the capabilities of the students belonging to STs to enable them to compete more effectively for admission to professional colleges/institutions or to overcome educational deficiencies. While the State Governments/UT Administrations are free to choose any number of schools for implementation of the schemes, the total number of awards allotted to each state per annum should not be exceeded. The schools selected will be intimated to this Ministry by the State Governments/UT Administrations.

IV Coverage
The coaching should start at class IX level and continue till the student has completed class XII. This is proposed with a view to making sufficient time available for coaching as well as meaningful interaction between these children and others. Thus a period of four years would be available for intensive training and coaching to a student to make up for his/her educational deficiencies and to enable him/her to compete for entry into collegiate level courses, particularly, in professional disciplines and ultimately for senior and remunerative positions on their own merit. Although entry point under the Scheme would be Class IX, a student may be enrolled in class X/ XI if he/she has shown excellent performance in the previous examination and if he/she had missed entry at class

IX level for any reason.
Thus each State Government/UT Administration has a fixed number of awards as given in Appendix IV. While one batch of student enter class IX, the earlier batch in class XII will be going out, thus keeping the total awards at the same level. For example, if a State has 5 awards, it will work out as under:

Class IX - 5 Class X - 5 Class XI - 5 Class XII - 5 Total - 20

The State Governments/UT Administrations may use their discretion to decide the allotments of seats among Scheduled Tribes on the basis of illiterate population of the ST communities and keeping in view the overall parameters of the scheme.

V Nature of Coaching
Coaching will be both remedial, with a view to removing deficiencies in school subjects, and special for preparing student for competitive examinations required for entry into professional courses like Engineering and Medicine. The emphasis of remedial coaching would be to remove educational deficiencies from which these students suffer and to promote study habits. It is found that educational deficiencies generally result from inadequate linguistic skills and lack of understanding of basic concepts in Mathematics and Science. It is, therefore, proposed to provide coaching in linguistic skills, Science and Mathematics coaching for competitive examinations i.e. special coaching will be more specific and organized in relation to the competencies required by professional institutions for passing their entry examinations. Syllabi for special coaching will need to be prepared with the help of Experts. While remedial coaching will continue throughout the stay of students in the selected schools (class IX – XII), intensive coaching for competitive examinations will be provided to them on Sundays, holidays and during summer/winter vacations. Special coaching should be arranged at some
centrally placed schools, where students of class XI and XII of the nearby schools participating in the programme can gather on specified days. Coaching will be done after school hours, teachers providing coaching to students will be paid remuneration. The Principals of the schools would also need to be involved
in the programme and take responsibility for ensuring satisfactory implementation. Some honorarium will be provided to them. The State Governments/UTs should furnish a report on the performance of these students while seeking fresh grants.

VI Selection of Teachers
For remedial coaching, faculty of the schools selected under the scheme would be given preference. Where it is not possible to find suitable teachers for a specific course of study, services of teachers from neighbouring schools will be requisitioned. It should be ensured that not less than 10 to 12 hours a week are devoted
by a teacher to the coaching of the students. For special coaching, apart from school teachers wherever possible and available, faculty of professional, institutions would be invited. For this purpose, professional institutions which may be located near the school where coaching is provided, will be preferred, so as to economise on expenditure on traveling.

VII. Preference to Girls Students and Handicapped Students
While selecting the students, the State Governments/UTs should have a target to include at least 30% girl ST students, wherever possible. Target should also be fixed to include at least 3% disabled ST students wherever possible. Besides the amount of scholarship, students with disabilities would also be eligible for the following
assistance:
(a) Reader Allowance of Rs.150 per month for blind students in classes IX to XII.
(b) Transport allowance of Rs.100 per month for the disabled students if such a student does not reside in the hostel, which is within the premises of educational institution. The disability as per the said Act is defined as
blindness, low-vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomoter disability, mental retardation and mental illness.
(c) Special pay of Rs.150 per month be admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend help to a severely orthopaedically handicapped students residing in a hostel managed by the educational or by the State
Government/Union Territory Admn. who may need the assistance of a helper.
(d) Escort allowance of Rs.100 per month for severely handicapped day scholar students with lower extremity disability. The provisions proposed in (a) to (d) above, also apply to leprosy-cured students.

Financial Implications
The Scheme provides for 100% central assistance to the States and Union Territories for implementation of the Scheme. A package grant of Rs.19,500/- per student per year will be given with the following break-up:
(i) Rs.11,500/- per student per year as under: Boarding & lodging charges @ Rs.700 Rs.7,000 Per month for 10 months Pocket money @ Rs.200/- for 10 months Rs.2.000/- Books and Stationery Rs.2,500
(ii) Rs.8,000 per year per student for honorarium to Principal, Experts and other incidental charges. Besides the above, students with disabilities will be eligible for additional grants as provided for in the scheme. In case a State does not send any proposal, funds earmarked for that State are likely to lapse. In order to prevent this, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will have the discretion to divert the extent of 10% of the budget allocation funds from one State to another to meet the unforeseen increased demand. This divertion would be from the internal resources of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs by way of re-appropriation within the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Appendix – I
Statement showing requirement of funds for implementation of the Scheme of Upgradation of Merit of ST Students during current year. Total requirement for current year Adjustments required to be Requirement
during based on the number of made in current year on the Current year. awards of earlier years basis of accounts up to the to be renewed and fresh end of previous year (to be Scholarship to be awarded supported with previous year this year (Details the audited statement of of calculation to be given) Accounts in the proforma At Annexure II)
Name of the Recognised (School) No. of students Where scheme is being ST Implemented Fresh Renewal Total
S.No.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Appendix – II
Statement of Accounts of the State of ___________________ in respect of the
Scheme of Upgradation of Merit of ST Students Year Amount sanctioned by the Government of India Total
actual expenditure Reasons for unutilization of grants Whether expenditure given in Col. 3 is audited Unspent
balance surrendered to Central Accounts in details Adjustment of unspent balance if any to be made during the
current year No.of awards allocate d to State Govts/
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
2007- 08
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
2008- 09
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
2009- 10
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
2010- 11
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
2011- 12
(a) (b)
(a) (b)
Note : Against (a) give the amount for the year and Against (b) give progressive total since the inception of the Scheme]

Appendix – III
Implementation report in respect of the Scheme of Upgradation of Merit of ST
students.
Name of the State/UT _________ No. of students studying under the scheme (yearwise). Year Scheduled Tribe Boys Girls 1 2 3
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
Total _____________ Institution/class-wise distribution of students (year-wise) Year Class Scheduled Tribe
Girls Boys 2007 -2008 IX X XI XII
2008-2009 IX X XI XII
2009-2010 IX X XI XII
2010-2011 IX XI XII
2011-012 IX X XI XII
Appendix-IV
Distribution of Awards to various State Governments and UT Administrations.

S.No. Name of the State/UT
No. of ST awards Total no. of ST students to be benefited (one awards means 4 students)
1. Andhra Pradesh 21 21x4=84
2. Arunachal Pradesh 5 5x4=20
3. Assam 15 15x4=60
4. Bihar 10 10x4=40
5. Jharkhand 30 30x4=120
6. Goa 4 4x4=16
7. Gujarat 23 23x4=92
8. Himachal Pradesh 1 1x4=4
9. Karnataka 11 11x4=44
10. Kerala 2 2x4=8
11. Madhya Pradesh 43 43x4=172
12. Chhatisgarh 35 35x4=140
13. Maharashtra 26 26x4=104
14. Manipur 5 5x4=20
15. Meghalaya 5 5x4=20
16. Mizoram 5 5x4=20
17. Nagaland 5 5x4=20
18. Orissa 34 34x4=136
19. Rajasthan 28 28x4=112
20. Sikkim 4 4x4=16
21. Tamil Nadu 3 3x4=12
22. Tripura 4 4x4=16
23. Uttar Pradesh 3 3x4=12
24. Uttranchal 8 8x4=32
25. West Bengal 18 18x4=72
26. A&N Islands 5 5x4=20
27. Dadar and Nagar Haveli 4 4x4=16
28. Daman and Diu 4 4x4=16
29. Lakshdweep 5 5x4=20
30. J&K 4 4x4=16
370 370x4=1480
Basis of Allocation:- The Scheme of Upgradation of Merit was being implemented by the Ministry of  SJ&E for both SCs and STs up to 1999- 2000. Awards were common for both SCs and STs. The ST component of the scheme was transferred to the M/o Tribal Affairs from 2001-02. The awards in each State were bifurcated in the ratio of population of SCs and STs in the concerned States/UTs.