SHILLONG, Oct 14: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday released the second and final instalment of Rs 104.48 crore under the Umbrella Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students for the academic year 2025-26, taking the total funds released by the Centre and the state to Rs 198.43 crore.
The release, announced at a programme at St Anthony’s College, Shillong, is intended to benefit 96,801 verified students across Meghalaya. Of these, 88,061 students, accounting for 91 per cent of the beneficiaries, have received the full scholarship amount, according to the government.
The remaining cases involve pending payments, including those where Aadhaar is not seeded or linked to an active bank account and those awaiting payment responses from the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
Addressing the gathering, Sangma said scholarships remained one of the major concerns of students and expressed satisfaction at releasing the final instalment for the academic year. He said the government was committed to meeting students’ expectations and supporting their needs and aspirations.
The chief minister said the direct benefit transfer (DBT) process had already been initiated. He added that the concerned departments had been directed to monitor pending cases, correct discrepancies and reprocess payments until every eligible student received the full scholarship amount.
He urged students whose scholarship payments had not been credited to confirm through their respective institutions that their bank accounts were active and properly linked to Aadhaar.
For the academic year 2025-26, the total amount released under the scheme stands at Rs 198.43 crore through two instalments contributed by the central and state governments.
The first instalment of Rs 93.95 crore comprised Rs 84.55 crore from the Centre and Rs 9.40 crore from the state. The government stated that the State share was sanctioned without delay after the Central share was conveyed. The second and final instalment of Rs 104.48 crore comprises Rs 94.03 crore from the Centre and Rs 10.45 crore from the state.
The 96,801 verified beneficiaries include 52,839 fresh applicants and 35,222 renewal students who have received the full scholarship amount. The figures provided by the government indicate that payments have been completed for 88,061 students, while the remaining verified beneficiaries are yet to receive their full payments.
Sangma also used the occasion to underline the importance of education in government decision-making, telling students from St Anthony’s College and neighbouring institutions that their welfare remained central to the government’s policies and programmes.
He urged scholarship beneficiaries to use the money prudently to meet their educational needs and invest in learning resources and personal development.
The programme also witnessed the inauguration of the postgraduate block of the Biotechnology Department and the Bio-Informatics Laboratory at St Anthony’s College, along with renovated campus amenities and equipment procured under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) 2.0. A computer laboratory established under the Chief Minister’s Skills Mission was also inaugurated.