Bihar govt approves Rs 1 lakh aid for SC/ST aspirants clearing UPSC prelims

Students from the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) categories, who crack the civil services preliminary tests conducted by the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), will now get Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh, respectively, as assistance from the Bihar government.

The Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government Tuesday gave nod to the Mukhyamantri Anusuchit Jati Evam Anusuchit Janjati Civil Seva Protsahan Yojana to help bright aspirants focus on their studies without worrying about expenses.

The move comes around a month after the Bihar government extended all schemes for ‘Mahadalits’ in the state – be it provding land for housing or Dashrath Manjhi Skill Development scheme – to the categories.

“Under the scheme of the SC/ST Welfare Department, the state cabibet has decided to give one-time Rs 50,000 amount to an SC/ST candidate clearing prelims of BPSC and Rs 1 lakh for clearing prelims of UPSC,” said Arun Kumar Singh, principal secretary, cabinet secretariat department.

The scheme is a follow-up of the chief minister’s flagship Student Credit Card scheme, under which Rs 4 lakh can be loaned to a student who has passed Class XII and whose annual family income is less than Rs 1.5 lakh.

A JD(U) source, without wishing to be named, told The Indian Express that the move was aimed at consolidating the party’s Dalit vote base.

“(Former CM) Jitan Ram Manjhi’s joining the Grand Alliance has done us damage. (Also) recent Araria Lok Sabha and Jehanabad bypolls results clearly showed fragmentation of our Dalit vote base. We are trying to win back the Scheduled Castes. Such welfare measures are part of our Scheduled Caste consolidation move.”

Manjhi, who recently broke away from the NDA to join the Congress-RJD combine, had said Kumar’s pro-Dalit stance was tantamount to shedding “crocodile tears” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
News Source (Indian Express)