The Bihar government on Friday (January 30, 2026) announced that it will pay the full fee for Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Scheduled Caste (SC) students enrolled in premier central and state institutions.
SC and ST Social Security Minister Lakhendra Kumar Roshan made the announcement during a Samvad press conference at Soochna Bhawan.
The minister said it was part of the cabinet agenda which was elaborated on Thursday in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The scholarship amount has been revised for those enrolled in premier institutions such as National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) under the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST Students’ welfare system.
The ministry will now pay the entire fees to both central and state institutions, he said, stressing that there will be “no cap on the fee”.
Funding has increased
At present, the government provides between ₹ 70,000 and ₹ 90,000 to SC and ST students for higher education either in central or state government institutions, he said. The government has also increased the annual fee paid by the department to SC and ST students taking courses in non-government institutions in the state such as ITIs, diploma/polytechnics, equivalent courses and other professional courses, the minister said.
With the increase in the annual fee amount to be borne by the department, students pursuing ITIs will now get a maximum annual fee of ₹7,500 against the existing ₹5,000.
Similarly, students pursuing ITI, Diploma/Polytechnic and other equivalent courses will get an annual fee of ₹15,000 against the existing ₹10,000; students pursuing other professional and technical courses will get an annual fee of ₹25,000 against the existing ₹15,000. The annual fee includes tuition and all other fees.
Undergraduate scholarship
Mr. Roshan also added that the department has doubled the annual pre-matriculation scholarship for SC and ST students under the pre-matriculation (school) scholarship program in the current financial year.
Ministry Secretary Sandeep Kumar R Pudakalkatti, Principal Priyanka Rani and Additional Secretary Gautam Paswan accompanied the minister during the press conference.
This decision is expected to benefit around 27 lakh SC and ST students from Std I to Std X.
The department is playing a significant role in realizing the vision of Viksit Bihar by bringing SC and ST people into the mainstream through social, economic and educational empowerment, Mr. Roshan said.
The scholarship amount for classes I to IV has been doubled to ₹1,200 from ₹600, while Std V and VI students will get ₹2,400 against the existing ₹1,200.
Students of Std VII to Std X will get an annual stipend of ₹ 3,600 against the existing stipend of ₹ 1,800, the minister said, adding that students of Std I to X living in hostels will get a revised annual stipend of ₹ 6,000 against the existing stipend of ₹ 3,000.
An annual expenditure of ₹519.64 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme, he said, adding that the government plans to open hostels in all 534 blocks in Bihar.
Published – 30 Jan 2026 21:57 IST
