Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS)

• Context (PIB): Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS) is an umbrella scheme to empower SCs and OBC students through education.
• It comes under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and comprises four central sector sub-schemes:
  1. Top-Class Education for SCs
  2. Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs
  3. National Overseas Scheme for SCs
  4. National Fellowship for SCs

SHREYAS Sub-schemes

Top-Class Education for SCs

• Objective: Quality education for SC students beyond 12^th grade by providing full financial support.
• Income Limit: Total family income should not exceed eight lakhs per annum.
• Coverage: 266 higher education institutes, including IIMs, IITs, NITs, and more.
• Scholarships: Total tuition fee, academic allowance, and living expenses.

Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs

• Objective: Provide quality coaching to economically disadvantaged SCs and OBCs for competitive exams and higher education.
• Income Limit: Total family income should not exceed eight lakhs per annum.
• Gender Inclusivity: 30% of slots are reserved for females in both categories.
• Allocation Ratio: The SC to OBC ratio is 70:30.

National Overseas Scheme for SCs

• Objective: Offer financial assistance for pursuing masters and PhD courses abroad to:
  • Selected students from SCs
  • De-notified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes
  • Landless agricultural labourers
  • Traditional artisan categories
• Eligibility: Total family income should not exceed eight lakhs per annum.
• Scholarships: Total tuition fee, maintenance, visa fees, airfare, etc.

National Fellowship for SC Students

• Objective: Provide fellowships for SC students pursuing an M.Phil. / PhD in Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences in Indian universities.
• Qualification: Qualified National Eligibility Test (NET-JRF) or UGC-CSIR Joint Test.