In a move that could reshape educational opportunities for thousands of underprivileged students, the Bihar government has announced a sweeping expansion of scholarships and fee support for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. The announcement, made on January 30, 2026, by SC and ST Welfare Department Minister Lakhendra Kumar Roshan, represents one of the most significant investments in educational equity the state has undertaken.
Removing the Ceiling on Dreams
The centerpiece of this initiative is straightforward yet powerful that the government will now pay the complete fees for SC and ST students attending India's most prestigious institutions with no upper limit. This includes the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), National Institutes of Technology (NIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna.
Until now, students received between ₹70,000 and ₹90,000 toward their education costs. While helpful, this amount often fell short of covering the full expenses at premier institutions, forcing families to either arrange additional funds or watch their children's dreams slip away despite earning admission to these competitive colleges. By eliminating the fee cap entirely, the government is sending a clear message that merit should not be limited by money.
Minister Roshan captured the essence of this change when he said it "removes financial barriers, allowing our students to dream big without worry." It's a simple idea with profound implications that talented students from marginalised communities can now accept admission offers to top institutions without the anxiety of how their families will manage the costs.
Beyond the Elite Institutions
While the unlimited fee coverage for premier institutions grabbed headlines, the government's support extends much further. Recognising that not every student will attend an IIT or AIIMS, Bihar has also increased scholarship amounts for those pursuing education in non-governmental institutions within the state.
Students enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) will now receive up to ₹7,500 annually, up from ₹5,000. Those pursuing diplomas, polytechnic courses, and similar programs will get ₹15,000 instead of the previous ₹10,000. For students in other professional and technical courses, the support has jumped from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per year. These amounts cover not just tuition but all associated fees, ensuring students aren't left scrambling for money to pay examination fees, laboratory charges, or other costs that can add up quickly.
This tiered approach acknowledges a basic truth that educational pathways are diverse, and support should be too. Not everyone needs to become an engineer or doctor to contribute meaningfully to society and their own economic well-being. By strengthening support across different types of education, the government is validating multiple routes to success.
Investing in Younger Students
Perhaps the most far-reaching aspect of these reforms involves school-going children. The government has doubled the pre-matric scholarships and financial support for students from classes I to X. This decision will benefit approximately 27 lakh (2.7 million) SC and ST students across Bihar.
The new scholarship amounts are:- ₹1,200 annually for students in classes I to IV (doubled from ₹600); ₹2,400 for classes V and VI (up from ₹1,200); and ₹3,600 for classes VII to X (increased from ₹1,800). Students living in hostels receive even more support ₹6,000 annually instead of the previous ₹3,000.
These might seem like modest amounts, but for families struggling with poverty, they can make the difference between a child attending school regularly or being pulled out to work. School expenses add up, including uniforms, books, supplies, transportation, and sometimes meals. When families are choosing between feeding everyone and sending a child to school, even a few thousand rupees can tip the scales toward education. The government has allocated ₹519.64 crore annually for the pre-matric scholarship scheme alone, demonstrating that this isn't mere announcement politics but a funded commitment.
Building Infrastructure for Access
Money for fees solves only part of the problem. Many SC and ST students come from rural areas where quality schools are scarce and distances are vast. Recognising this, the government is simultaneously expanding hostel facilities across the state.
Currently, hostels exist in 276 of Bihar's 534 blocks. The government aims to establish hostels in every block within five years. This includes 100 "Savitribai Phule Girls Hostels" approved across 18 districts, each with 100-bed capacity. Another 60 hostels are planned for 136 blocks that have more than 30,000 SC/ST residents but currently lack any hostel facilities.
The department also operates 91 residential schools, where 50 is for boys, 37 for girls, and four are co-educational institutions. The high demand is evident, where over 70,500 applications were submitted for just 8,595 available seats. Twenty-eight additional residential schools are expected to be approved by the end of the 2025-26 financial year, with construction already beginning.
Of course, scholarships and infrastructure are necessary but not sufficient. Quality of education matters as much as access to it. Ensuring that residential schools and hostels maintain high standards will be crucial. So will effective implementation and making sure money reaches students without bureaucratic delays or corruption eating into the funds.
Still, this announcement represents a significant step forward. By committing substantial resources and removing financial caps, Bihar is betting on its marginalised students. The state is saying that talent exists everywhere, even if opportunity doesn't, and it's the government's job to bridge that gap.
For thousands of SC and ST students across Bihar, these reforms could be life-changing. The child who dreams of becoming an engineer, the teenager interested in fashion design, the rural student with a gift for mathematics, they now have a better chance of turning those aspirations into reality. That's the promise of education, and Bihar has just made that promise more accessible.
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