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The Hindu
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Provisional award letters given to all selected candidates under National Overseas Scholarship: govt.
Weeks after withholding provisional award letters to 66 selected candidates from marginalised caste and tribe backgrounds under the government's National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) scheme, the Social Justice Ministry informed Parliament on Tuesday (July 29, 2025) that the letters had been issued to all selected candidates. On July 1, the Ministry declared the list of candidates selected under the NOS scheme meant for students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, and landless agricultural labour socio-economic backgrounds. It said that for the 2025-26 period, it had selected 106 students who will avail the scholarship to pursue postgraduate studies in top universities abroad. Rahul's objection However, the Ministry had added that it was issuing provisional award letters to 40 of them and that it would get to the rest 66 candidates 'subject to availability of funds'. Reports on this declaration of NOS results had led Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to attack the Narendra Modi-led government over its commitment to removing the barriers for Bahujan students trying to move forward. On Tuesday, responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale said, 'For Selection Year 2025-26, provisional award letters have been issued for all selected 106 students.' In the reply, the Ministry added that the Expenditure Finance Outlay Committee for the NOS scheme had initially approved an outlay of ₹175 crore to be spent over five years (₹35 crore each year). 'The expenditure, however, under the NOS Scheme for the period 2021-22 to 2024-25 has been ₹298.39 crore which is in excess of the approved budgetary outlay of ₹175 crore for five years. Further, additional funds allocated under Budget Estimate (BE) for 2025-26 is ₹l30 crore,' the reply added.
The Hindu
23-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Parliamentary proceedings: In five years, 295% rise in the number of people seeking de-addiction treatment, govt. data shows
In the past five years, the number of people seeking de-addiction treatment for substance abuse at government-supported facilities has seen a 295% rise, data tabled in the Parliament on Wednesday showed. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment tabled comprehensive data on its National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, showing that various types of de-addiction centres supported by the Centre had treated 2.08 lakh people in 2020-21. This number had risen to over 8.23 lakh in 2024-25. The number of people seeking treatment for addiction from these centres has been consistently increasing in the last five years, even as government set up about 288 new de-addiction facilities in the same time period. This data on the increasing number of people seeking treatment for de-addiction comes as the Social Justice Ministry is preparing to launch a nationwide survey to study patterns of substance use and abuse in the country. This survey would build upon the one conducted in 2017-18 by the Nation Drug Dependence Treatment Centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. Currently, the Union Social Justice Ministry supports a total of 696 de-addiction facilities of different categories. These include Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts, Outreach and Drop-in Centres, District De-Addiction Centres (DDACs), Community-based Peer Led Interventions, and Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs). Of these, 288 new ATFs and DDACs have come up in the last five years, government data showed. The data on people seeking treatment for addiction was put out by the Social Justice Ministry in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal on Wednesday. Minister of State for Social Justice B.L. Verma, in his response said that, in 2024-25, ₹170.26 crore was released to the NGOs and voluntary organisations running the facilities. The 2017-18 survey on substance abuse had concluded that alcohol was the most used substance, with over 15 crore people estimated to be using it, of which around 30 lakh were estimated to be minors (between 10-17 years of age). This was followed by cannabis, opioids, sedatives, inhalants, cocaine, stimulants such as amphetamine, and hallucinogens, respectively.
The Hindu
22-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
In over 90% of sewer deaths, workers had no safety gear: government audit
Over 90% of workers who died while cleaning sewers did not have any safety gear or personalised protective equipment (PPE) kits, according to a recent social audit commissioned by the Union Government to look into hazardous sewer and septic tank cleaning across the country. Even in the cases where they had some safety gear, it was limited to a pair of gloves and gumboots. In September 2023, the Social Justice Ministry commissioned a study into hazardous cleaning deaths, which analysed the circumstances surrounding 54 such deaths in 17 districts across eight States and Union Territories that occurred in 2022 and 2023. Government data shows 150 people across the country died due to hazardous cleaning in 2022 and 2023. The social audit, whose findings were made public in Parliament on Tuesday (July 22, 2025), investigated hiring mechanisms, the use of safety equipment, institutional set-ups, availability of PPE kits, rapid response readiness and equipment, and awareness of the law banning manual scavenging. No equipment or training In 49 out of the 54 deaths examined, the workers were not wearing any safety equipment. In five cases, they were wearing just gloves, and in one case, gloves and gumboots. In 47 instances, 'no mechanised equipment and safety gears for cleaning of sewers and septic tanks were made available to the workers', the audit report said. In fact, it was able to identify just two instances where this equipment was made available and only one where the requisite training was provided. The audit noted that in 45 of these deaths, 'it was found that there is still no equipment readiness on the part of the concerned Agency carrying out such work'. Awareness drives in the wake of the deaths were only conducted in seven cases, and were only 'partially' completed. Such drives were conducted in Chennai and Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu, and Satara district in Maharashtra. No informed consent No consent was taken from workers in 27 cases, according to the social audit, which further noted that even in the 18 cases where written consent was taken from the workers, 'they were not counselled on the risks involved in the work'. The study found that in 38 cases, the workers were 'contracted personally/individually'. In five cases, the workers were employed by a government agency, and in three cases, they were employed by the public sector but were hired by private employers for the particular work they were doing when they died. These findings became public when the Social Justice Minister was replying to a question in the Lok Sabha by Congress MP Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde. In its response, the Ministry added that it has already launched the NAMASTE scheme for addressing the problem of hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tank workers and waste-pickers in July 2023. Scheme to provide PPE kits This is in line with the government's declaration that manual scavenging has ended in the country, and that it is the problem of hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks that now needs attention. So far, the NAMASTE scheme has identified 84,902 sewer and septic tank workers in 36 States and UTs across the country, of which a little over half have been provided with PPE kits and safety gear. Only in Odisha, all 1,295 such workers identified under the scheme have been given PPE kits and safety gear, thanks to the State government's Garima scheme, according to Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar's response to another question in the House. As per this statement, capital subsidies worth over ₹20 crore have been provided under the NAMASTE scheme to 707 sanitation workers, while about 1,000 workshops have been held in the country on the prevention of hazardous cleaning. Under this scheme, the government has also identified around 37,800 waste pickers.
India Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
SHRESHTA schools demand illegal fees from students, says Social Justice Ministry
The Social Justice Ministry has flagged multiple SHRESHTA schools for charging SC students illegal deposits, violating the scheme's rules that promise free residential education. Image by canva (Representational) The Social Justice Ministry has found that numerous schools operating under its SHRESHTA program, which was created to give Scheduled Caste students access to high school education, are requesting "deposits" from parents and students under a variety of guises, which is against the program's rules, which were intended to give beneficiaries access to high-quality free education. The Social Justice Ministry issued a letter to the schools on Monday, stating: 'Regrettably, we have received numerous complaints from students and parents regarding schools demanding deposits under various pretexts such as admission fees, uniforms, books, medical expenses, security deposits, picnic fees and stationery costs.' SC students in the target areas are to receive residential high school education through the Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA), the Hindu reported on Monday. The programme reportedly has two modes: one that allows private residential schools to join, and the other that permits residential schools run by NGOs and voluntary organisations. The official statement further warned that no fees should not be charged from SHRESHTHA students. "Failure to comply will result in strict actions being taken against the school through the CBSE, ' it reportedly added. As per data released by the Ministry of Social Justice, the SHRESHTA scheme benefits approximately 15,000 Scheduled Caste (SC) students through both of its operational modes. Of these, more than 5,000 students are currently enrolled in private residential schools under Mode-1 of the scheme.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Schools under govt.'s free residential schooling for SC students charging fees under various pretexts
The Social Justice Ministry has found that many schools under its SHRESHTA scheme meant to provide high school education to Scheduled Caste students are demanding 'deposits' from students and parents under various pretexts in contravention of the scheme's guidelines, which were designed to provide quality free education to beneficiaries. The Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) is meant to provide residential high school education to SC students in the target areas. Under the scheme, there are two modes — one provides for private residential schools to become part of it, and another allows for NGO-run and voluntary organisation-run residential schools. Once selected, the schools provide residential schooling facilities to the prescribed number of SC students, following which the funds spent under this scheme by the respective schools are re-imbursed by the government. According to public reporting by the Ministry of Social Justice, the SHRESHTA scheme serves about 15,000 SC students, including both modes under the scheme. Out of this, over 5,000 students are studying with various private residential schools under Mode-1 mentioned above. In a letter to the schools on Monday (July 7, 2025), the Social Justice Ministry said, 'Regrettably, we have received numerous complaints from students and parents regarding schools demanding deposits under various pretexts such as admission fees, uniforms, books, medical expenses, security deposits, picnic fees and stationery costs.' The Ministry of Social Justice's SC Division went on to say that all schools that have consented to be part of the scheme must adhere to the guidelines strictly, adding, 'No fees of any kind should be charged from SHRESHTA students. Failure to comply will result in strict actions being taken against the school through the CBSE.' It noted that these conditions had been specified early on when seeking participation from the schools and that 'under no circumstance' should the schools charge the students or their families.
