Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the Union Cabniet’s decision to approve the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme, saying that it is a step towards Yuva Shakti empowerment.
“The Cabinet has approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to support youngsters with quality education. It is a significant step towards empowering the Yuva Shakti and building a brighter future for our nation,” PM Modi wrote on X.
He added that the step will be a big boost in making education more accessible.
Earlier, the Union Cabinet approved the PM-Vidyalaxmi scheme to provide financial support to meritorious students in a mission mode.
The mechanism will facilitate and drive the extension of education loans to meritorious students who get admission in the top 860 quality higher educational institutions of the nation, translating to covering more than 22 lakh students every year.
These students will be eligible to get collateral-free, guarantor-free loans from banks and financial institutions to cover the full amount of tuition fees and other expenses related to the course.
According to the Cabinet, for loan amounts up to Rs 7.5 lakh, the student will also be eligible for a credit guarantee of 75 per cent of outstanding default.
"This will give support to banks in making education loans available to students under the scheme," it said.
In addition, for students having an annual family income of up to Rs 8 lakh, and not eligible for benefits under any other government scholarship or interest subvention schemes, 3 per cent interest subvention for loans up to Rs 10 lakh will also be provided during the moratorium period.
"The interest subvention support will be given to one lakh students every year. Preference will be given to students who are from government institutions and have opted for technical/ professional courses," according to a Cabinet note.
An outlay of Rs 3,600 crore has been made from 2024-25 to 2030-31, and seven lakh fresh students are expected to get the benefit of this interest subvention during the period. This is in addition to the full interest subvention already being offered to students with up to Rs 4.5 lakh annual family income.
PM-Vidyalaxmi is another key initiative stemming from the National Education Policy, 2020, which had recommended that financial assistance should be made available to meritorious students through various measures in both public and private higher education institutions (HEIs).
The scheme will be applicable to the top quality higher educational institutions of the nation, as determined by the NIRF rankings - including all HEIs, government and private, that are ranked within the top 100 in NIRF in overall, category-specific and domain-specific rankings; state government HEIs ranked in 101-200 in NIRF, and all Central government governed institutions.
The Department of Higher Education will have a unified portal “PM-Vidyalaxmi” on which students will be able to apply for the education loan as well as interest subvention, through a simplified application process to be used by all banks. Payment of interest subvention will be made through E-vouchers and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) wallets.
Their sacrifice shining example of valour, commitment to one’s values: PM Modi's tribute to Sahibzades
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, paid tributes to Sahibzades on the occasion of Veer Baal Diwas and prayed that they always "guide us towards building a more just and compassionate society".
Netanyahu warns Houthis as Israel reportedly mulls new airstrike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Houthi forces in Yemen would face consequences similar to those experienced by other anti-Israel groups.
Andhra CM Naidu meets PM Modi, seeks special financial assistance
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some Central ministers including Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Wednesday, seeking special financial assistance from the Centre.
IMD and TU signs MoU for indigenous lightning detection system development
In a significant step towards enhancing India's capabilities in weather monitoring and research, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Department of Physics, Tripura University.
Tripura Chief Minister hails Officers for promoting transparency in governance
Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that officers in the state government are playing a key role in making the administration corruption-free which is an example of Good Governance.
NEC Plenary to usher development for Tripura: CM
Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha today said that the recently held Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) will greatly benefit the state and other North Eastern states; as such meetings will bring more development works to this region.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seizes drug items worth Rs 56.525 Cr this December; 15 persons detained
In a major crackdown on the smuggling and trafficking of contraband narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out a focused operation in the month of December 2024 in the North Eastern Region.
CPI(M) opts for young leaders in Tripura, chooses 87 pc new faces in divisional committees
Around 87 per cent of new faces were elected as secretaries in the CPI(M)’s Divisional Committees in Tripura replacing old guards, a party leader said here on Tuesday.