The disbursement of scholarship payments to over 11 lakh student beneficiaries of various scholarship schemes has been held up due to the absence of biometric verification, causing frustration among students and their families. The state education department initiated biometric authentication for scholarship recipients from 2021 to ensure the legitimacy of applications and to prevent fraudulent claims. However, the lack of verification has resulted in delays in transferring the awarded amounts to the recipients’ bank accounts.
Scholarship schemes, ranging from minority to pre-matric schemes, play a crucial role in supporting students’ educational pursuits and reducing financial barriers. In an effort to curb false applications and streamline the scholarship distribution process, biometric verification was made mandatory for all beneficiaries.
A recent audit report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India shed light on the inadequacies in the implementation of the scholarship disbursement system. The report revealed that the Maharashtra government had not conducted security certification of the MahaDBT portal since August 2020. The MahaDBT system was introduced in 2018 as a digital platform for the direct transfer of benefits and subsidies, including scholarship funds. However, the lack of cross-verification integration with other state government systems led to discrepancies and inaccuracies in disbursing scholarships.
To rectify this situation and ensure the smooth disbursement of scholarships, the state education department has launched a comprehensive biometric authentication drive for students. This initiative aims to validate the identity of beneficiaries, minimize errors, and expedite the process of delivering scholarship funds to those who are genuinely entitled.
Commissioner of education Suraj Mandhare emphasized the importance of this biometric drive in ensuring that the rightful beneficiaries receive their scholarships on time. He compared it to Aadhaar verification conducted among schoolchildren, highlighting the positive impact biometric verification can have on accurately identifying and awarding benefits to deserving students.
According to a report by the CAG, a total of Rs 7,227.58 crore was disbursed as scholarships by various state government departments through the online Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system from 2018-19 to 2019-20. The audit report revealed that the implementation of the DBT system was not foolproof, leading to the current authentication drive to rectify the shortcomings and enhance the efficiency of scholarship distribution.
