No hostel proposals from Punjab for SC, ST, OBC students in 2 years: Centre
The information was supplied in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale in response to a Punjab-specific query.
The minister said, though none from Punjab, a proposal each for a boy and girl hostel was received from Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow for SC students.
No other proposals from states or union territories are currently pending under the hostel scheme for belonging to the three categories, he said.
'During the last two years, no proposals have been received from the State Government of Punjab for construction of hostels for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC)," Athawale said in a written response.
He said that though the Centre has not released any funds to Punjab for the construction of hostels for SC or ST students in the past two years or in the current fiscal, it has released Rs 112.5 lakh in the financial year 2025–26 for hostels meant for OBC students.
Under the Hostel component of the Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY), financial assistance is provided for the construction and maintenance of hostels, but there is no provision for additional academic support or coaching for students residing in these facilities, the minister added. PTI UZM VN VN
view comments
First Published:
August 05, 2025, 17:15 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
11 minutes ago
- India.com
Skip prayers, face jail: This Muslim country introduces strict Sharia laws, skipping them can land you…, not Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Saudi, it is...
Religion is perhaps the most sensitive issue in our world today. Many will raise questions, have discussions, and express concerns about religion because faith and belief are different for different individuals. What may be considered sacred for one population may not be considered the same as for another population, and this always leads to disagreements or discussions, or quite intolerant discourse. Which country has introduced strict punishments for skipping Friday prayers? Following any religious practices is a matter of choice. Some people follow religious practices very carefully, others do not. However, this place is giving punishment for not following the religious practices. In Malaysia's Terengganu state, a new and serious law has been adopted. Under this law, Muslim men who fail to attend Friday Prayers will be sentenced to jail time. This action is called a bold step towards implementing total Sharia law. Are there any fines in addition to imprisonment? According to the South China Morning Post report, the Terengganu state in Malaysia has announced that it will start enforcing Sharia law in which Muslim men who do not attend Friday prayers, without a valid reason, could serve a prison sentence for up to two years. The move is generally considered to be proof of the multicultural nation moving further toward religious conservatism. Terengganu, which is governed by the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), announced on Monday that first offenders could now face imprisonment, a fine of up to 3,000 ringgit (US$710), or both, if they fail to attend the weekly congregational Jummah prayer without a valid excuse. Taking 1 USD = Rs 86, therefore, US$710 ≈ Rs 61,060. While speaking to local daily Berita Harian, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi, a member of the state's executive council, stated, 'This reminder is important because Friday prayers are not only a religious symbol but also an expression of obedience among Muslims,' as cited by SCMP. Terengganu is a largely Islamic and conservative state in Malaysia, with a population of around 1.2 million, 99% of whom are Muslim. Terengganu is a stronghold for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), and the party won a clean sweep of the state's 32 assembly seats in the 2022 state assembly elections. Story Highlights Terengganu state in Malaysia has announced that it will start enforcing Sharia law. Men who skip Friday prayers will face punishment if they don't have valid reason. They will land in jail and have to pay a fine too. Penalties were applied only to those who missed three consecutive Friday prayers. Notably, Terengganu is also the only state in Malaysia that has no opposition in the state assembly at all. Experts argue that all these measures have political underpinnings. At present, Malaysia is governed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, whose time in office has been marred by allegations of rising religious conservativeness. Earlier, penalties were applied only to those who missed three consecutive Friday prayers.
New Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
LS passes bill banning online money games
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which aims to ban online games played with money. The government says the move is to tackle gaming addiction, money laundering, and financial fraud linked to such platforms. The Bill says no individual, company, or platform can offer, promote, or facilitate online money games in India. It also bans advertisements for such games on TV, social media, or any digital platform and prohibits banks and payment firms from processing such transactions. Sources said online money gaming is very addictive, leading to social harm and also financial loss. An official said 45 crore players lost money, with an estimated `26,000 crore loss annually. The Bill proposes the creation of a central authority that will issue guidelines and directions, which all gaming platforms must follow. Online money games as those where users deposit money in the hope of winning cash or other rewards. It covers all forms of online betting, including fantasy sports, card games like poker and rummy, and online lotteries. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after brief comments from Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, even as opposition members staged protests. Once cleared by both Houses of Parliament, offering or facilitating online money gaming will become a punishable offence, with jail terms of up to 3 years and fines of up to Rs 1 crore. Advertising such games could attract 2 years in prison or Rs 50 lakh fine.
Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Panel backs law for SC, ST, OBC quota in private varsity admissions
A parliamentary panel has recommended 27%, 15% and 7.5% reservation for OBC, SC and ST students, respectively, in private higher education institutions, noting the 'considerably low' number of OBC students and 'abysmally low' number of SC and ST students in select private institutions. Data provided by three of the four private Institutions of Eminence (IoEs) — BITS-Pilani, OP Jindal Global University, Shiv Nadar University — to the panel showed less than 1% of students belonged to the ST category in each of the institutions. Citing 'substantial' annual fees in private universities, the panel underlined the need for the State to take steps through legislation to accommodate students from these categories. Article 15(5) of the Constitution empowers the State to include private aided and unaided institutions of higher education in the scheme of reservations, it stated, adding that private institutions are currently not legally obliged to implement reservation policies. The committee called for implementing Article 15(5) in full across the country through legislation by Parliament, to match the reservation with the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act of 2006 applicable on centrally-funded institutions like IITs, IIMs, and central universities. '…in the interest of fairness, any introduction of reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs in private HEIs must be fully covered financially by the Government,' the committee noted, recommending a model similar to reimbursements provided to private schools by the government for 25% reservation. The panel recommended that the governments should allocate dedicated funds for private HEIs to increase seats, build infrastructure, and hire faculty in institutions implementing reservations, ensuring that there is no reduction in general category seats. The Department of Higher Education of the Union Ministry of Education told the committee that it is the responsibility of the state governments to make suitable legislative provisions for providing reservation in higher education institutions established by them, since private universities are established by Acts of state legislatures. The department referred to All India Survey of Higher Education data for 2022-23 which shows that students in the SC category comprise 15.5% (67.87 lakh students) of the total student enrolment in government and private higher education institutions (4.38 crore), while this figure is 6.4% (28.25 lakh students) for ST category students, and 38.9% (1.7 crore students) for OBC category students.
