The focus of the budgetary allocation is in line with BJP’s political pitch with a substantial jump in allocation for scholarship schemes for OBC and EBC students in the run-up to the Bihar assembly polls.
The higher budgetary allocation for OBC, EBC and SC students is of much political significance as Bihar is heading for assembly polls, and these three caste groupings constitute more than two-third of the electorate in the state. JDU supremo Nitish Kumar-led NDA government is already facing the heat of student anger over the leakage of the Bihar Public Service Commission exam.
To woo the youth and first-time voters among OBCs and EBCs, the allocation for post matric scholarship for students from these categories has jumped by 46.6% to ₹1,250 crore for 2025-26 from ₹921 crore in the last budget for 2024-25. The allocation for national fellowship for OBCs increased more than three-fold to ₹190 crore from ₹55 crore and the interest subsidy given on overseas studies for OBCs and EBCs was also more than doubled to ₹60 crore from ₹25 crore.
Similarly, the allocation for pre-matric scholarship for SCs rose by 15% to ₹577 crore for 2025-26 from the ₹500 crore allocated for 2024-25. This is a substantive increase compared to the 4.7% increase in budgetary allocation of the Social Justice Ministry to ₹13,611 crore from ₹13,000 crore for the current fiscal. On the contrary, there is a sharp decline in allocation for scholarships given to students from minority communities, compared with the previous budgetary allocation.
