Shillong, Jul 11: Only 116 students from Meghalaya benefited from the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) over four years.
The PM-USP is a flagship scheme aimed at providing financial aid to meritorious students from economically weaker families in the country to enhance access to higher education, particularly for those aspiring to pursue college and university studies.
According to a recent RTI disclosure shared by a resident of Madanrting, Manbhalang Phankon, the 116 students who benefited from the scholarship are only from 2022–23 to 2025–26.
As per the reply from the Ministry of Education, there was a decline in the number of recipients after the 2023-24 academic year (30 in 2022–23, 43 in 2023–24, 22 in 2024–25, and 21 in 2025–26).
Despite the necessity for such a financial support scheme, critical data of the scholarship slots allocated to Meghalaya, the total number of applications received, and reasons for application rejections remain undisclosed, which suggests possible administrative bottlenecks affecting potential beneficiaries.
“Given the importance of financial assistance in improving access to higher education, there is an urgent need for greater transparency in the implementation of the PM-USP CSSS in Meghalaya,” Phankon stated.
He said both the Ministry of Education and the state government should provide detailed statistics on allocations, approvals, rejections, and district-wise distribution to ensure accountability and better access for students who require essential support in their pursuit of higher education.
