NEW DELHI: The Union Budget 2025-26, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, experts, student bodies, and community leaders for mercilessly slashing allocations for minority and tribal student scholarships, underfunding public education, and failing to support the empowerment of marginalized groups. Even with some programs being zeroed out, overall, about Rs. 1,000 crore was cut from flagship programs and schemes benefiting minority and tribal students in this year’s budgetary allocations, while nearly 75% of funding for minority education was slashed in the last five years according to the data.
Minority scholarships also faced severe cuts. The Pre-Matric Scholarship for minorities has been reduced by 40%, dropping from Rs 326 crore in 2024 to Rs 197.5 crore. The Post-Matric Scholarship for minorities was cut by 63.8%, from Rs 1,145 crore in 2024 to Rs 344 crore. The Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for minority students in professional and technical courses saw a 78% reduction, down from Rs 33.8 crore to just Rs 7.34 crore.
Allocations for Madrasas and Minority Education programs also suffered deep cuts. The Education Scheme for Madrasas saw a 99.5% reduction, from Rs 2 crore to just Rs 10,000.
Shocking Figures of Allocations for the Minority Education: Over 75% Slashed in 5 Yrs
Here are the shocking figures, how the BJP led Union Govt is continuously slashing educational empowerment programs of minorities over the last five years despite some minimal increase in intervening years. Overall, from ₹2,345 to ₹2,465 crore in 2021 and 2022, the government has now reduced the funding to just ₹617.04 crore in 2025-26.
- Pre-Matric Scholarship for Minorities:
- 2021-22: ₹1,378 crore
- 2022-23: ₹1,425 crore
- 2023-24: ₹433 crore
- 2024-25: ₹326.16 crore
- 2025-26: ₹195.70 crore
- Post-Matric Scholarship for Minorities:
- 2021-22: ₹468 crore
- 2022-23: ₹515 crore
- 2023-24: ₹1,065 crore
- 2024-25: ₹1,145.38 crore
- 2025-26: ₹413.99 crore
- Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for Professional & Technical Courses (UG, PG):
- 2021-22: ₹325 crore
- 2022-23: ₹365 crore
- 2023-24: ₹44 crore
- 2024-25: ₹33.80 crore
- 2025-26: ₹7.34 crore
- Education Scheme for Madrasas:
- 2021-22: ₹174 crore
- 2022-23: ₹160 crore
- 2023-24: ₹10 crore
- 2024-25: ₹2 crore
- 2025-26: ₹0.01 crore
Despite these cuts, the Education Ministry overall received an allocation of Rs 1.28 lakh crore, marking a 6.65% increase from last fiscal year.
Scholarships for OBC and SC students saw some increases. The National Fellowship for OBC students received a 245% hike, rising to Rs 190 crore. Additionally, the National Overseas Scholarship for SC students increased by 36%, while the Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC, and DNT students saw a significant rise of Rs 329 crore.
For tribal students, while the National Fellowship for ST was all but eliminated, there was a 10% increase in the allocation for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), now pegged at Rs 7,088 crore. The Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships for tribal students did see increases of 28% and 1.2%, respectively.
Overall, the cuts to scholarships for minority and tribal students have raised questions, particularly regarding the government’s commitment to supporting these communities’ educational needs.
Criticism Mounts Over Union Budget’s Treatment of Minority Welfare and Education
The Union Budget 2025-26 has drawn sharp criticisms from opposition leaders, experts, student body and community leaders, especially regarding its provisions for marginalized groups including, minorities, tribals and their educational empowerment. They condemned the budget for its cuts to scholarships, underfunding of public education, and lack of support for empowerment of marginalized communities.
In this regard, renowned budget analyst, Dr. Jawed Alam Khan, General Secretary of the Institute of Policy Studies and Advocacy, expressed disappointment over the budget, describing it as “disheartening” for minorities. He highlighted that, while there was a slight increase in the budget for minority welfare, the allocated funds have not been effectively utilized.
“In the previous budget, Rs 3,183 crore was announced, but it was revised down to Rs 1,868 crore,” the expert said. “Even in the 2023-24 budget, more than Rs 3,000 crore was allocated, yet only Rs 154 crore was spent.” He pointed to large-scale schemes like Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, which have seen minimal fund utilization. Despite funds being allocated for these programs, they have remained largely unspent over the past three years. Dr. Jawed further warned that the Ministry of Minority Affairs could be shut down under the current government, questioning whether the government’s rhetoric of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” was being undermined by a lack of actual financial backing.
The criticism has been echoed by Congress Rajya Sabha MP and former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, who labelled the cuts as “cruel” and an attack on the welfare of SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities. He pointed out that several schemes, including the PM Anysuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana and Post-Matric Scholarships for SCs, saw substantial cuts in the revised estimates. For example, the allocation for the PM Anysuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana was reduced from Rs 2,140 crore to Rs 800 crore, and for Post-Matric Scholarships, it dropped from Rs 6,360 crore to Rs 5,500 crore. “These are not just numbers; these are missed opportunities for uplifting the marginalized,” he said, criticizing the government’s failure to invest in long-term development.
One of the biggest student bodies, the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) also voiced strong opposition, calling the budget a “direct attack on education, especially for minorities.” The student body noted the education budget had fallen to just 2.51% of GDP, far below the 6% recommended by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “The cuts in pre-matric (-39.9%) and post-matric scholarships (-63.8%) are shocking. The Maulana Azad National Fellowship has been discontinued, depriving minority students of critical support,” said an SIO spokesperson. The group emphasized the widening disparities in education, particularly in public universities, where issues like faculty shortages and rising student debt continue to grow.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also weighed in, criticizing the budget as a “band-aid for bullet wounds.” He accused the BJP-led Centre of lacking innovative solutions and failing to address the economic crisis. “The government is bankrupt of ideas, and instead of real economic reforms, they are offering temporary fixes,” Gandhi said, referring to the limited benefits from tax cuts.
Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha was equally critical, stating that the income tax concessions announced in the budget would benefit only a small segment of the population. “Only 6 crore people are going to benefit from the income tax cuts. In a country with such a large economy, this is meager,” Sinha remarked. He suggested that reducing GST rates would have had a more significant impact on consumption and the economy.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor slammed the budget as “underwhelming,” accusing the government of engaging in short-term political thinking and failing to address critical issues such as unemployment and inflation. “The government is targeting the voters of Delhi and Bihar, but it needs a much more visionary approach to address the deep-rooted economic challenges the country is facing,” he added.
Former minister and advisor to the Telangana government, Mohammed Ali Shabbir also expressed his disapproval, noting that the BJP-led government had once again neglected minority welfare. “The allocation for minority welfare remains just 0.066% of the total budget, which is grossly inadequate,” he said. Shabbir criticized the continued underfunding of educational empowerment, with schemes like Pre-Matric Scholarships seeing reductions from Rs 326.16 crore to Rs 195.70 crore. He also pointed out the stagnation in funding for Free Coaching and Skill Development Programs for minorities.
“Since 2014, funding for minority welfare has steadily declined, and it’s clear that this government is deliberately reducing funds for empowerment,” Shabbir said, urging the Centre to revise its approach and ensure adequate funding for scholarships, fellowships, and skill development programs for minorities.
The budget has strong reactions over its implications for education and minority welfare, with experts urging the government to reconsider its priorities and provide meaningful support for marginalized communities.