In a novel initiative,Madhya Pradesh has linked scholarships given to Scheduled Tribe students living in hostels to the Consumer Price Index. Over 1.10 lakh tribal students living in 1,282 hostels and 950 Ashram Schools have benefited by Rs 175 per month from November this year. Girls will get Rs 750 per month while boys will get Rs 675. An officer said the Tribal Welfare Department would seek an increase in scholarship but the government could not act in the absence of any scientific formula. The new arrangement helps to arrive at a fixed figure. Next year onwards,the scholarship rates will be finalised in March,and implemented from July 1 when the new academic year begins,Commissioner (Tribal Welfare) Arun Kochar said. The scholarship rates were last revised in 2007 from Rs 300 and Rs 325 to Rs 500 and Rs 525 for boys and girls,respectively. Since then there was a demand for money with students claiming the scholarship to be inadequate. The matter was put up in the Cabinet,which recently cleared the proposal.
