Gujarat Government Looks Out For Non-Reserved Category Students, Lifts Income Limits To Avail Education Schemes

In welcome news for students belonging to the non-reserved category, the Gujarat government has bumped up benefits provided to such students by lifting their income limit which decides who is eligible to avail government education schemes, and also by increasing financial assistance by way of educational loans, reports TOI.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced that the annual income limit to be eligible for the benefits of schemes made available by the Gujarat Unreserved Educational and Economical Development Corporation has been raised to Rs 4.5 lakh from the earlier level of Rs 3 lakh.

The government-run corporation was established last year as a mechanism to financially assist non-reserved category students. The body also aids them in finding employment, foreign educational opportunities, etc. It was set up following demands raised in the Patidar agitation led by Hardik Patel for government assistance to those castes which were not eligible for any reservation benefits.

The annual income threshold to avail loans up to Rs 15 lakh for studying abroad now stands at Rs 6 lakh, up from the previous level of Rs 4.5 lakh.

A qualitative change in the loan is that earlier it used to only be given to those going for medical courses abroad, but now will be available for students pursuing any post-graduate or higher studies programme outside India

Furthermore, now non-reserved students will be able to avail of loans even to study in institutes outside Gujarat.