The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (DoSJE) reported substantial growth in scholarship coverage for Scheduled Caste students under its Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes during the current financial year, attributed to the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanisms. The Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students, which adopted DBT in 2021–22, disbursed a record Central share of ₹6,208.08 crore to 47.53 lakh students through DBT in FY 2025–26, marking the highest-ever Central release since DBT implementation. Similarly, the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs & Others, which implemented DBT in 2022–23, released ₹562.36 crore to 26.79 lakh students in FY 2025–26, representing the highest Central release under the scheme since DBT adoption.
The current financial year showed remarkable beneficiary growth: Pre-Matric beneficiaries increased from 2.36 lakh (1 April 2025 to 31 May 2025) to 5.75 lakh (1 April 2026 to 31 May 2026), registering 143.64% growth. Post-Matric beneficiaries grew from 10.27 lakh to 16.63 lakh during the same comparative periods, reflecting 61.92% growth year-over-year. The DBT framework has strengthened transparency, accountability, and efficiency by ensuring direct transfer of funds into beneficiaries' Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts, contributing to these record disbursements and enrollment figures.