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Affirmative Action in Secondary Education in India: A Study of National
Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme |
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| Paper Id :
18422 Submission Date :
12/11/2023 Acceptance Date :
20/11/2023 Publication Date :
25/11/2023
This is an open-access research paper/article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.10575161 For verification of this paper, please visit on
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| Abstract |
Despite the claim that who used to be the beneficiary, the poor and disadvantaged students of the Secondary and Higher Secondary schools are supported by the State in India through many scholarships. Though the eligibility criteria are different, the students are eligible to apply at least a scholarship where they are found to be fit into. This paper brings light on the flagship scholarship programme, National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), which not only provides scholarships to poor children of the BPL (Below Poverty Line) parents for a period of four years from Class IX to XII, but also gives assurance to those eligible children to complete the secondary and higher secondary education successfully. The paper also argues that the inadequacy and unapproachability of the unlettered parents coupled with the problems of direct transfer of benefits make many hurdles than the easy passage and purpose of the scheme. While, the charity of the State continues on the one side, it becomes an obligation of the State to come forward in every aspect to contribute generously and cheerfully towards the down-trodden and poverty-ridden young children. |
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| Keywords | Secondary Education, Affirmative Action, India, Scholarships, Means-cum-Merit. | ||||||
| Introduction | Education is one of the chief instruments in a society for social change, and whoever applied educational aspects to reform a society could find changes and this attitude of human beings accelerate and perpetuate radical changes. Education is the pre-eminent device for the socio-economic, political and cultural transformation. At all times society from different social backgrounds has been interested and sometimes even forced to undergo the avenues of knowledge. The need of education and its liberating power was needed much more to the Indian society due to redundant age old customs, ‘superstitions’ and rustic traditions during nineteenth century. Despite there are many educational programmes like Samagra Shiksha and other schemes which are carried out successfully throughout India, the backward sections of our society, particularly the low-income group is still lagging behind in education. The process of uplifting and upgrading the socially deprived millions has been hanging in the middle in between the economic growth and poverty alleviation. Though the idea of spreading and providing mass education was tried out in the nineteenth century by social reformers and others in vernaculars in different parts of India, plans of modern education to the masses by the government came into being only in the twentieth century. It may be argued that the sudden and metamorphic changes happened in the Indian society during the long nineteenth century partly due to the educational opportunities which had been bestowed on the lower classes to lead them into ‘progress,’ and partly due to the movements spearheaded in different parts of India by individuals and native government. In twentieth century, the disadvantaged sections of Indian society, particularly from the SC, ST, EWS and OBCs, including women, who were unable to receive this noble aspect of education, underwent ‘social exclusion’ for long. The exclusion of masses from the democratic process evolved into the aim of educating masses by providing secondary education. This ‘shift’ from ‘exclusion’ to ‘democratic’ has its consequences in promoting equity in education among the masses, that paved the way for making different schemes for those children coming from the disadvantageous families. |
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| Aim of study |
1. The Government of India launched the centrally sponsored National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) in May 2008 during the XI Plan through the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). The primary motive and purpose of this scheme is to award scholarship to the children of the economically weaker sections, who are normally found to be dropping the school before completing the secondary schooling. By receiving this scholarship, the children of the underprivileged masses, who is not only be benefited during their secondary and senior secondary stages, but also get-motivated and inspired to compete in their academics with any other student of the elite section without burdening much their parents. The scheme also aims to promote equity, public accountability and innovation in Secondary and Higher Secondary education. 2. A large number of children studying in government schools are the poorest, and quite often they are the impoverished and desperately need basic amenities like text books, note books, school uniform, and sometimes a cycle during the school education. Their parents battle hunger, debt, unemployment and social humiliation, but most of them still send their children to school. They do this at enormous household cost, and with great hope for what the schools have to offer. Rich or poor, most Indian parents now aspire to educate their children. 3. The idea behind this cherishing experience of the Government of India was based on the argument that high drop out of students, from both rural and urban, particularly in the remote rural areas, where children find it difficult to find a school within their expected vicinity. Obviously, the students are left with no other option than dropping their school education because of the non-availability of schools for secondary and higher secondary education. So, it has become an obligation for the State to come out with this innovative idea of awarding scholarship to the poorest of the poor children to initiate and implement, in order to control the drop out at the school level in every nook and corner of India and encourage the students to continue and complete the study at the Secondary and Senior Secondary level. Under the scheme, it was proposed to award 1,00,000 (one lakh) scholarships to the gifted or meritorious students whose parents’ annual income is not more than 1.5 lakh rupees from all sources. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the NMMS scheme and identifying the issues and challenges in implementing the scheme in different sample States and UTs. 4. The leitmotif of this paper is to analyze and understand how far this scholarship scheme is different from other schemes in terms of benefits, such as amount of the scholarship as it is given throughout the year continuously for four consecutive years from the date of initial award, mostly from class IX, based on the performance of the student every year. Focus is also made on the SC, ST and backward class students, the low-income groups, the disadvantaged sections of the society, who have been benefited through this scheme, and also how far this scholarship helps them in getting academic excellence in education in the six States, namely Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Jharkhand & Uttar Pradesh, where this study has been carried out. Attention will be made to study the performance of the students, who have been awarded the scholarship from time to time from the inception of the launching of this scholarship for the poor and oppressed. |
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| Review of Literature |
National Merit Scholarship Scheme was introduced by the Department of Education, Government of India in 1961-1962. It was offered to brilliant but poor students from Class XI to post-Graduation level. In addition, a scheme of scholarship at the secondary stage for talented children from rural areas was also launched by the Department of Education, Government of India 1971-1972. It was offered to talented but poor students from rural areas from Class VI to Class XII. These two schemes were later merged and a single scheme, namely, the ‘National Merit Scholarship Scheme’ was established by the Department of Education, Government of India for implementation from 2005-2006. This was available to meritorious students from class IX to Post-Graduation level. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/Guidelines-Collegestdnts%20(1).pdf/ However, since funds were not provided by the planning commission for the year 2007-2008, the scheme has been discontinued w. e. f 1st April, 2007. School Education, which has come under a new Department, namely, Department of School Education and Literacy, has introduced a new scheme: ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme. This scheme covers students from Classes IX to XII. The Department of Higher Education, MHRD has introduced a new scheme entitled “Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students’. The National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) is one of the important scholarship programmes initiated by the Government of India, through the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development during the XI Five Year Plan period for the poorest of the poor students, who excel and achieve outstanding academic performance. Mugdha Jain (2009) reviews the national means cum merit scholarship scheme with respect to efficiency in implementation and its effectiveness. Delhi state has been taken as a sample study for the nationwide scheme. Inefficiencies, delays, inadequate performance were witnessed by the implementing body in the state. |
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| Methodology | The study also envisages the perspectives of students, parents, heads of the institutions, including teachers, where the student’s involvement and achievement is found to be more important than any other factor and that perpetuates among the poor children to propel themselves towards reaching the goal of scoring more and also enrolling themselves for higher education, and even to the level of reaching the highest degrees of research. Six States were selected as sample that included, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, out of all 35 States and UTs. These six States had been preferred, keeping in mind the idea of not leaving any region of India, that is, two from the North, one each the South and the West, one from the East and one among the North-Eastern States. Three specific districts in the selected States were identified for the study, and from every district three schools were selected, from where five students from each school is taken for a survey. While analyzing the students, their class of study, background, the parents and their perceptions, their annual income, education, occupation etc., were considered to be given utmost importance. Overall, there were 18 Districts with at least 93 schools and a selected 343 students, where 195 were boys and 148 girls, from the selected 6 States were covered for the evaluation of the scheme. The evaluation, which was carried out meticulously, ensured the nature and progress of the scholarship plan, the beneficiaries and other participants, and getting more information from the fields, and made the study into an interesting one. Field Survey became a significant research method to collect, receive, retrieve and understand information personally by visiting schools, meeting the principals/ headmasters, teachers, students and the parents, who all had a very important role in assessing the experience of students, parents and institutions after the implementation of NMMSS at the District level. A questionnaire was prepared for the principals/headmasters, which comprised of many questions that included asking information on the knowledge of the scheme NMMSS, entrance exam for the students, income limit of the parents, official interactions, student’s performance and so on. Another questionnaire was circulated among the students asking the name of students, school, parents and siblings, class, category etc. The students were requested to fill-in the questionnaire, and the details were to be tabulated; the family and other background of the student, socio-economic condition, income, education, academic achievement, difficulties in getting the scholarship and so on were identified and codified. The details were to be analyzed and interpreted for understanding the introduction of the scholarship, implementation, usage of the scholarship, and how far the underprivileged children were benefited from this scholarship. |
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| Analysis | The flagship NMMS Scheme, which was launched in 2008, has been already benefited, and will also to benefit hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children studying in Classes between IX and XII, and is a good initiative for a range of reasons. The evaluation carried out in six States exhibits the problems and probabilities of the students who have been awarded. The eligible students normally write an entrance examination, usually conducted by the State authorities by providing an application form once in a year. Comparing the NMMS Scheme with other schemes, this scholarship does the reverse and helps them to go for even higher education as it is clear from the observation and data that many students are saving money from their allotted scholarship for their higher education. For those students who are from the lowest ranks it is a dream come true to get a scholarship like this at the secondary and higher secondary stage. Students responded positively that NMMSS gives them immense hope of getting into a good college in their near future without burdening their parents. In the year of inception 2008-09, the Department of Education had a stipulated year marked allocated of 100000 (1 Lakh) NMMSS scholarships, which was to be bifurcated into all 35 States and UT’s, based on the age group population and enrollment of students of the States. In this introductory year the central government sent circulars to all States, particularly to the Department of education of the individual State, defining the nature, process and the benefits of this scheme. A very important data was prepared on the allocation of the individual States based on the enrollment of students in the respective State. The Department of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, circular and attachments specify that there were 55544 NMMSS scholarships were disbursed in the first year. In this allocation, Uttar Pradesh got the lion’s share of the highest, 15143 allocated scholarships, and Lakshadweep the Union Territory with much lower population was allocated only 10 scholarships. But, Uttar Pradesh disbursed only 9206 scholarships in 2006-09, 1076 in 2009-10, 12422 in 2010-11 and just 3303 in 2011-12. The utilization of the scholarship data shows that Uttar Pradesh never used the entire allocated quota of scholarships. The southern State Andhra Pradesh, with an allotted quota of 7008, sanctioned 6828 in 2008-09; the State sanctioned 13175 scholarships, both fresh and renewals in 2009-10. But in 2011-12, the State offered 33880 scholarships (fresh & renewals together) with a sanctioned amount of 2032.80 lakhs. So, Andhra Pradesh has taken special interest to execute the NMMSS plan in all the regions of the State, and is the highest Scholarship received and disbursed State during 2011-12. In Andaman & Nicobar, out of the allotted 42 scholarships, all 42 were disbursed in 2008-09, with fresh and renewals it was 56 in 2009-10, only 37 in 2010-11 and 38 in 2011-12. Arunachal Pradesh, one of the North-Eastern States, with an allocation of 122, sanctioned and disbursed all 122 in 2008-09, 208 in both 2009-10 and 2010-17, and 491 in 2011-12. In Assam, though the allotted scholarships were 2411, only 15 scholarships were sponsored and disbursed in two consecutive years 2008-09 & 2009-10. Only in 2011-12, the State could increase the number of scholarships into 1426 and disbursed an amount of 85.56 lakhs. Bihar, one of the most backward States in North India, which needs all-pervasive support to her student population, was allocated 5433 scholarships by the central government. In the introductory year 2008-09, 1104 students were sanctioned; in 2009-10, it was increased to 1842, and in 2010-11, the amount remained the same at 1842, and 8132 students received NMMSS scholarships in 2011-12. The sorry state of affairs has happened in Lakshadweep, the Union Territory, where no NMMSS scholarship has ever been awarded since the inception in 2008 till date, though the Union Territory has been allocated 10 scholarships. Such type of under representation of any State/Union Territory would definitely tarnish the real purpose of the NMMSS scholarship scheme. Not only the schemes’ importance is diluted, but also it makes the poor students unaware of the scholarship. For
any evaluation of such works with data, selecting samples from the random data,
analyzing and interpreting the data, will help to identify the core and
critical issues related with the programme. Six sample States have been taken
from a group of thirty-five States, including Union Territories – Manipur,
Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh – are
considered for this study, so that no region is left out including the
North-East.
The data given above clearly shows the lion’s share of the scholarship amount allocated to Uttar Pradesh, that is, the highest – 15143 per year, but the poorest thing of the State is that very little has been disbursed so far to the students. The State distributed just 1351 scholarships in 2011-12. The case of Andhra Pradesh is different, where the State utilized its maximum for the students. Out of the total 7008 scholarships allocated, the State disbursed 6828 in the academic year 2008-09, 6347 in 2009-10, 6462 in 2010-11, and 6655 in 2011-12. One of the most backward state of affairs is Jammu & Kashmir, where just 7 students out of a total of 1091 were awarded NMMSS scholarships in the academic year 2009-10, and even for the other academic years also the story remained the same as much of the amount was unutilized by the respective State Governments. Though Gujarat used the scholarship amount very less during the initial years, the number of recipients has been gradually increased in the years followed. That shows the attitude of the State authorities in favour of the central scholarship.
The above sample state data clearly shows that there is disparity and difference between the States. The biggest beneficiary among all six sample States is Andhra Pradesh, where a total of 2032.8 lakh rupees was disbursed during the year 2011-12. At the same time, the allotment for the State of Jammu & Kashmir is lagging behind to a much lower comparing the other States. Primary Data Analysis The field research of this evaluation study is the commendable part of this report as the research to find out the empirical evidence from students, parents, head masters, teachers and other offices become not only an important part of the study but also it gives a complete idea on the exploration of the field, particularly the sample States. The States appoint or depute an officer of a high rank as Nodal officer to implement the process, and from the Nodal office it is processed through the District Education Officers (DEOs), and then to the Block development officers and Education Officers before reaching the concerned schools and its headmasters and the students. Ever since the inception of the NMMSS scholarship scheme, the Department of Secondary Education & Literacy, MHRD, devised an entrance examination for those eligible students who are interested to avail the NMMSS scholarship. But the possibility of conducting the entrance test was given to the State Governments. The test has two parts, Mental Ability Test and Scholastic Aptitude Test, each of them for 90 minutes’ duration, and the students should score at least 40% marks in each, where the children from the poor families found the question pattern tough. The students were asked Aadhar card numbers for opening and seeding with bank accounts. The meritorious part of the scholarship among the students who received already was the welcome part of the children coming from the poorest of the poor families, winning and scoring more in their exams, participating in the day-to-day activities of the schools, engaging themselves in the process of learning by enhancing the attendance, and showing improvement in every aspect of the students’ life. The data shows that there were more numbers of boys than girls participated in the survey, and obviously there could be a chance of more boys than girls must have won the competition.
From the fieldwork it has been observed that some of the
students, who were selected for the NMMSS scholarship have not been sanctioned
the scholarship amount for years. A peculiar case is in the Ranchi District of
Jharkhand, where the students are not given the scholarship amount for 2010-11,
2011-12 and 2012-13 till date. So, a recent trend seems to demotivate the young
students from appearing the entrance examination, as they are getting negative
impact on the test by their own seniors, who are not getting the scholarship
for at least two years. It has also been identified that some of the students,
who deserve the scholarship more, are observed to be unable to fulfill the
pre-requisite percentage of marks in the annual examination, and so become
ineligible to receive the scholarship. |
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| Findings |
The scholarship scheme was, over all, well-received by the States although the States were unable to execute by selecting and disbursing the stipulated scholarships, particularly the allocated amount. The Institution heads, teachers, students and parents of the economically weaker section are also impressed with this scholarship. For the highest scorers of the underprivileged families, it is really, a great opportunity on their way ahead for achieving great things in their lives. In the year of commencement of this scholarship, 2008-09, there were 55544 students offered rupees 500 each per month and a total of 1666.32 lakh rupees incurred. The amount of recipients gradually increased every year, and in 2009-10, a total of 78926 students were sponsored and disbursed. In 2010-11, the total recipients were 81377, and this amount exceeded the annual allotment quota of 100000 into 103033 students, who availed a total of 6181.98 lakh rupees in 2011-12. The data clearly indicates that the number of scholarships sanctioned was the eligible candidates, which means, those who had cleared the entrance exam and made themselves eligible for availing the scholarship though the data does not say anything about the number of students appeared in each State and Union Territory. Obviously, entry is made for all those successful candidates who had cleared the exam, and the total number of eligible candidates is enrolled in the list. According to the directives of the NMMSS scholarship, the student who has cleared the entrance exam is eligible for the scholarship continuously for four years, provided he/she fulfills the eligibility criteria of scoring 50 percent marks in the subsequent annual examinations till from Class IX to Class XII. Quite often, getting the correct data of the previous year of the student remains the biggest unsolved problem. Though there are differences in the sanctioned amount of every year, the disbursed amount of the scholarship differed due to so many reasons. The expected data of the scholarship awardees are not submitted by the heads of the concerned schools and so the District Education Officers would delay in sending the correct data to the Department of Education of the particular State. Finally, the Department of Education also would not send the details to the MHRD. Performance of the Scholarship Scheme The evaluation study, which was carried out among the students, parents and teachers identified and studied ‘responsive reaction’ among the scholarship recipients everywhere. Since the NMMSS offers scholarships permanently for four consecutive years, it enables the students to complete the Secondary and Higher Secondary Schooling successfully. A general observation is made that many of the students, who availed NMMSS scholarship, utilized the amount for buying the text and note books, stationary items and so on. Some of them who used the said amount properly and systematically, scored well in their Board exams, and made-up their intellectual pursuit of getting good score, so that they could reach the eligibility criteria of joining in better institutions for their higher studies, most certainly, higher/senior secondary. The NMMSS scheme does the reverse of the past and helps them to go for even higher education as it is clear from the observation and data that many students are saving money from their allotted scholarship for their higher education. Students responded positively that NMMSS gives them immense hope of getting into a good professional college in their near future without the financial support of their suffering parents. This positive and progressive way of affirmation on the young students on the aim of getting university education becomes a landmark achievement. Impact of NMMS Scheme The leitmotif of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme, which has been implemented effectively, has reduced the drop-out rate in Secondary and Senior/Higher Secondary Schools. The scheme has not only received a ‘red carpet’ welcome among the poor, depressed and impoverished low-income generation, but also got its importance among the academic-intellectual generation for its merit of raising the unexpected generation, who never desired to send their children to higher classes of schooling, that gives the meritorious students, who really deserve some kind of stipend from the authorities to support their education, is of ‘upward mobility’ in school education. For millions of school going students who generally drop-out themselves in the middle of their schooling due to economic and other social problems, it is an eye-opening and ground-breaking the fact that they will be able to find a new ‘torch-bearer upon the path of progress.’ Some of the students, who received the NMMSS scholarship in classes IX and X, left their schools and joined in class XI, probably to private schools for their Higher Secondary. The most complicated part here is to produce a list of students, who received the NMMSS scholarship by the head of the Institution and also by the DEOs. The scholarship amount is sanctioned by the Department of Education, MHRD, based on the list of students and the marks obtained, which was sent by the State Departments of Education. As long as the heads and DEOs don’t send the list of eligible students, the State Department also cannot prepare it, which is to be sent to MHRD. There are instances, throughout India, particularly in the sample states, students and parents have been moving towards the education offices for gathering information on NMMS Scheme. It is again undoubtedly a way of implementing the idea of giving new pedagogic techniques to the down-trodden students and making them up for a better outcome, for education is the chief weapon through which one can fight unapproachability and other class and caste problems. The scholarship has its implications and
appreciations among the Headmasters/Principals, teachers, parents and students,
who are impressed about this scheme, applauding the initiative of the State for
taking interest on the school coming poorest of the poor, in upbringing them by
awarding the brightest among them. All of them had profound suggestions and
innovative ideas to represent and demonstrate this kind of government
initiatives, and to execute such plans in their school according to the
directions laid down by the MHRD. Perception of Head Masters and Teachers They opined that this scheme would give a positive impulse among them, and make them to compete with the other children. Most of the Heads acknowledged that the children were utilizing this amount for getting their books, stationery items, transport, uniform, and many of them are saving some amount for their future education also. They viewed that NMMSS reduced the financial burden of parents considerably. The assurance that this new plan could be better received and expanded among the depressed sections of the society because it would help hundreds of thousands of students to reach competent positions in the near future. Perception of Parents The parent’s aspiration on this new scholarship
scheme perpetuates a new interpretation in the way and thinking of the people
towards the State and the authorities. Many of the parents felt extremely happy
about the new initiative of the Government, praising that it would definitely
boost a kind of ‘moral and material benefit’ to the students. At the same time,
it may change the regular routine scenario what has been happening in our
traditional society for ages that the income from the parents, who earn very
meager from their ordinary labour, normally compel their sons and daughters,
particularly sons, to join the same occupation of the parents. For example, the
son of a blacksmith, after his schooling, joins his father as a blacksmith, and
a farmer’s son becomes a farmer. Perception of Students
Ever since this programme has been launched people started acknowledging that some of the poor students get-benefited through this scheme, and assured that the scholarship really gave a moral boost up in the academic activities of the students in their regular attendance, punctuality, scoring of marks and participation and so on. Above all, the students developed dignity and decorum in the classes like other students in competency, discipline, co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. |
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| Conclusion |
The strongly sympathizing attitude of the people with the State on this ‘affirmative action’ guaranteed that the students also realize and believe in the equity and democratization of equal opportunities initiated by the State machineries and its implementation as well as implications. Many students from the deprived sections and their parents and teachers affirmed that the scholarship holders are aiming themselves high not only academically but also financially and preparing themselves to get admission for higher education in colleges and universities. The school headmasters, teachers, and parents were also impressed with the scholarship scheme and opined that it is a milestone on the way of the forward march in the lives of the students’ academic life. This will also give a new impetus in their lives and making them useful and a ‘torch bearer upon the path of progress’ to support and help his community well. When the disadvantageous children need new things to be learned in their lives, the innovative schemes, including NMMSS, undoubtedly prove a way of giving new pedagogic techniques and making them to feel better and changing them into constructive and productive citizens, where education becomes one of the most important tools to fight unapproachability and all other class and caste problems. The down-trodden sections of our country, which have been passing through under tremendous implications of inability and infringements to send their children for schooling will get a boast up through this scholarship and also their children will be benefitted by getting proper systematic education from the childhood, so that it will make a new history in the annals of Indian education. |
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| References | 1. Government
of India (2022), Ministry of Education, Guidelines for the National
Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme. 2. Government
of India, (2020), Ministry of Education, National Policy on Education-2020, New
Delhi. 3. Government
of India, (2001), Education for All: Developments Since Dakar, New Delhi,
Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. 4. Mugdha Jain,
(2009), National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme: A Review, Centre for Civil
Society, Delhi (unpublished working paper no. 226) 4. Raju, V. P.
S., (2014), An Evaluation Study of ‘National Scheme of Incentive for Girls in
Secondary Education’, NIEPA, New Delhi (unpublished research report). 5. Raju,
V. P. S., (2007), Education of the Masses: A Quest for Pedagogy, Shipra
publications, New Delhi 6. Tilak, J. B.G., (1987), Economics of Inequality in Education, New Delhi, Sage. Websites: https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/Guidelines-Collegestdnts%20(1).pdf/ |
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