New Delhi: A new centrally-sponsored Scholarship Scheme, called - Top Class Education for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, has been introduced by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs from the academic year 2007-08.

This scholarship has been introduced with an aim of enabling meritorious ST students to pursue degree and post-degree level courses in any of the identified institutes.

125 institutes in both the Government and private sectors covering the field of management, medicine, engineering, law and commercial courses have been approved under the scheme.

All the selected institutes institute have been allocated a maximum of five awards with a ceiling of total 635 scholarships per year.

A meritorious ST student who has gained admission in any of these 125 identified institutes shall be eligible for receiving the scholarship under this scheme, provided, he falls within the inter-se seniority of top five meritorious ST students and the total family income of the ST student from all the sources does not exceed Rs.2 lakh per annum.

This was announced by the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Dr. Rameshwar Oraon in a reply to a question by Mr. Jai Prakash Narayan Singh in the Rajya Sabha today.

Mr. Oraon said, "Under the scheme, eligible ST students are awarded scholarship covering full tuition fee and other non-refundable dues in respect of Government/Government-funded institutions".

However, there is a ceiling of Rs.2 lakh per annum per student for private sector institutions and Rs.3.72 lakh per annum per student for the private sector flying clubs for Commercial Pilot Training.

In addition, the scholarship also provides for living expenses @ Rs.2200 per month per student subject to actuals, books and stationery @ Rs.3000 per annum per student and cost of a latest computer system along with its accessories limited to Rs.45000 as one time assistance during the course.