460 students went abroad under NOS in last 5 years: Govt to LS
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New Delhi: The Indian government's National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme, aimed at supporting students from marginalised communities, has come under the spotlight as the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment provided details on its operations.
The information, presented in a written response by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale, on August 19 sheds light on the number of beneficiaries and the funds disbursed over the last five years.
According to the data, a total of 725 provisional award letters were issued between the fiscal years 2020-21 and 2025-26.
For 2025-2026, provisional award letters to 106 candidates have been issued but candidates have yet to proceed abroad for study.
Of these, 473 candidates received final award letters, and 460 beneficiaries proceeded abroad to avail the scholarship.
The number of beneficiaries who have gone abroad has fluctuated, peaking at 114 in 2023-24 and dropping to 79 in 2024-25.
The total funds allocated to the scheme have seen a steady increase, from Rs 30 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 95 crore in 2024-25.
The total expenditure over the last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25) amounted to a staggering Rs 267.08 crore.
Maharashtra consistently had the highest number of beneficiaries and the largest expenditure, with 68 beneficiaries and Rs 43.65 crore spent in 2023-24 alone. Other states with a significant number of beneficiaries include Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat.
The government stated that district-wise data is not maintained.
When asked about the time taken to disburse funds, the Ministry explained that funds are released to Indian Missions abroad through Letters of Authorisation (LoA). These missions are then responsible for providing the funds to the students, universities, or institutions.
To raise awareness, the government publishes advertisements in newspapers and sends letters to the State and Union Territory Social Welfare departments. Grievance redressal measures include dispatching officers for spot verification of documents and approaching Embassies to send Embassy Verification Reports (EVR).
The government also reimburses the to-and-fro airfare by the shortest route in economy class for travel support.