Raphael Warjri

Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday released ₹93.698 crore as the first installment of the Umbrella Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students for 2025-26 at Shillong College.

The installment will benefit 96,812 verified ST students across Meghalaya through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The total scholarship expenditure is estimated at ₹198.42 crore, with the Centre conveying ₹84.55 crore and the State sanctioning its share of ₹9.40 crore.

Sangma said the delay was linked to the Centre’s new Single Nodal Agency (SNA) system, under which the RBI directly transfers funds to students’ accounts. He said the process could take up to five working days.

The Chief Minister also directed officials to monitor failed transactions and ensure that all eligible students receive the scholarship. He informed that the National Scholarship Portal for 2026-27 will remain open until 30 November.