Students Receiving Rs 18K+ Scholarship May Lose Subhadra Yojana Eligibility
Female students in Odisha who receive annual scholarships of Rs 18,000 or more from any state or central government scheme may soon be declared ineligible for the Subhadra Yojana.
The Women & Child Development Department has issued directives to the Higher Education and SC/ST & Minority Affairs Departments to submit detailed reports on such beneficiaries for the fiscal years 2023–24 and 2024–25.
According to the Subhadra Yojana guidelines, eligible women must be between 21 and 60 years of age and should not be receiving substantial financial aid from other government schemes.
The move aims to prevent duplication of benefits and ensure targeted support.
However, concerns have emerged over whether scholarships strictly used for educational expenses should be treated as general financial assistance. The department has acknowledged these queries and instructed a thorough review of the nature and usage of such scholarships.
In a related development, the government clarified that Subhadra beneficiaries turning 60 will be eligible to apply for old-age pensions under schemes like the Madhu Babu Pension Yojana (MBPY) and the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP).
This policy update marks a significant shift in how overlapping welfare benefits are managed, potentially impacting thousands of students across the state.
