Kejriwal unveils Ambedkar scholarship for Dalit students' foreign education

New Delhi: Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal announced the Dr. Ambedkar Samman Scholarship, aimed at offering free foreign education to Dalit students in the city. He said the scholarship was introduced in response to what he described as the BJP’s “insult” of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

Addressing reporters at the AAP headquarters, Kejriwal criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah for remarks made in Parliament, accusing him of disrespecting Ambedkar and causing immense hurt to his followers. Kejriwal highlighted Ambedkar’s belief in education as a transformative tool, referencing Ambedkar’s achievement of earning a PhD from the US despite significant challenges. He positioned the scholarship as a counter to what he characterized as the BJP’s alleged disrespect toward Ambedkar.

Kejriwal outlined that the scholarship would cover the entire cost of education, including travel and accommodation, for any Dalit student from Delhi admitted to a foreign university. He added that children of government employees would also be eligible, though he did not provide details on the implementation process or timeline.

The BJP dismissed the announcement, claiming that it was a recycled version of an old scheme introduced in 2019. BJP national secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that the foreign education initiative for Dalit students had already been announced four years earlier by Kejriwal.

Citing an RTI reply, Delhi BJP leader Harish Khurana stated that while the scheme was introduced in 2020, the government had only allocated Rs 25 lakh in total for five students up to the 2023-24 period, far short of the promised target of sending 100 Dalit students abroad annually. Khurana accused Kejriwal of making election-time announcements to feign respect for Ambedkar.

In addition to the scholarship, Kejriwal has also promised a monthly allowance of Rs 2,100 for all adult women and free medical treatment for senior citizens at government and private hospitals if AAP is re-elected in the February elections.

With PTI inputs