Bihar Govt. to cover entire fees for SC & ST students enrolled in NIT, IIT, AIIMS, NIFT and CIMP

The Bihar Government announced on Friday (January 30, 2026) that it will pay the entire fee of scheduled tribe (ST) and scheduled caste (SC) students enrolled in premier Central and State institutions.

SC and ST Welfare Department Minister Lakhendra Kumar Roshan made the announcement during a press conference held at Samvad in Soochna Bhawan.

The minister said this was part of the cabinet agenda, which was detailed on Thursday in the presence of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The scholarship amount has been revised for those enrolled in premier institutions like the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and Chandragupt Institute of Management Patna (CIMP) under the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST students’ welfare scheme.

The department will now pay the entire fees for both Central and State institutions, he said, while stressing that there will be “no cap on the fee”.

Funding increased

At present, the Government provides between ₹70,000 and ₹90,000 to SC and ST students for higher education either in Central or State Government institutions, he said. The State Government also increased the annual fee paid by the department to SC and ST students pursuing courses in non government institutions in the State, such as ITI, Diploma/Polytechnic, equivalent courses, and other professional courses, the minister said.

With the increase in the annual fee amount to be paid by the department, students pursuing ITI will now get a maximum annual fee of ₹ 7,500 as against the existing ₹5,000.

Similarly, students pursuing ITI, Diploma/Polytechnic, and other equivalent courses will get an annual fee of ₹15,000 against the existing ₹10,000; students pursuing other professional and technical courses will get an annual fee of ₹25,000 against the existing ₹15,000. The annual fee includes tuition fee and all other fees..

Pre-matric scholarship

Mr. Roshan also added that the department has doubled the annual pre-matric scholarship for SC and ST students in the current financial year under the pre-matric (school) scholarship scheme.

The minister was accompanied by Department Secretary Sandeep Kumar R Pudakalkatti, Director Priyanka Rani, and Additional Secretary Gautam Paswan during the press conference.

The decision is expected to benefit around 27 lakh SC and ST students from Std I to Std X.

The department plays a significant role in realising the vision of Viksit Bihar by bringing SC and ST people into the mainstream through social, economic, and educational empowerment, Mr. Roshan said.

The scholarship amount for classes I to IV has been doubled to ₹1,200 from ₹600, while students of Std V and VI will get ₹2,400 against the existing ₹1,200.

Students of Std VII to Std X will receive an annual scholarship of ₹3,600 against the existing scholarship of ₹1,800, the minister said, adding that students of Std I to X residing in hostels will get a revised annual scholarship of ₹6,000 against the existing scholarship of ₹3,000.

An annual expenditure of ₹519.64 crore has been sanctioned for the scheme, he said, adding that the government plans to open hostels in all 534 blocks in Bihar.