Full Breakdown
Parliament Public Accounts Committee Moves Privilege Motion Over SC Scholarship Delays
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Core Event: Privilege Motion Against State Chief Secretaries
On Thursday, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by K C Venugopal resolved to move a privilege motion to the Lok Sabha Speaker. The motion targets the chief secretaries of several states for failing to attend a PAC meeting that examined irregularities in the pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste (SC) students. The committee described the absences as “contempt of Parliament” and said the motion would be presented for action under privilege rules.
Background & Context
The meeting scrutinised a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled on 30 March 2026. The CAG flagged implementation gaps, financial irregularities and prolonged payment delays in the central scholarship schemes for SC students. It noted that the Centre had allocated INR30,234 crore for the schemes during 2017-24, with state governments responsible for on-ground execution.
Data & Statistics
- Payment delays: up to 48 months for pre-matric dues and up to 89 months for post-matric dues.
- Over-payments: INR19.98 crore paid above admissible rates to 1,29,754 post-matric beneficiaries across eight states.
- Beneficiary decline: post-matric beneficiaries fell from 54.27 lakh in 2019-20 to 47.39 lakh in 2023-24, while central assistance rose from roughly INR2,710 crore to INR5,475 crore.
- State-specific issues: Karnataka’s post-matric expenditure dropped sharply before rising to INR703 crore (2023-24). Uttar Pradesh recorded 5.41 lakh late payments between 2017-2021, with many delayed beyond three years. Punjab failed to pay pre-matric scholarships to 2.72 lakh students despite INR6.14 crore being available.
Official Statements & Responses
Venugopal told reporters the committee had taken “very, very shocking” note of the delays spanning 2017-2022 and the lack of coordination between the Centre and states. He said the delivery of scholarships is a constitutional obligation and that the PAC will hold every state and ministry accountable until eligible students receive their dues.
The Union Ministry of Education, on a separate front, organised a regional orientation-cum-review workshop in Bhopal for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS). The workshop outlined verification procedures through the National Scholarship Portal and set deadlines: student registration by 31 Oct, institute-level verification by 15 Nov, and district-level verification by 30 Nov.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Number of states: Hindustan Times reports a motion against chief secretaries of seven states (Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra). New Indian Express and Deccan Herald cite six states, omitting Maharashtra.
- State list discrepancies: The differing lists suggest incomplete or evolving information about which chief secretaries were summoned. No source provides a definitive final roster.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The committee unanimously decided to give a privilege motion to the Speaker against the chief secretaries of the seven states for not attending this important Public Accounts Committee meeting without giving proper notice,” — Venugopal, committee chairman
Timeline
- 30 Mar 2026 – CAG report on SC scholarship schemes tabled in Parliament.
- 15 Oct 2026 – Venugopal posts on X about delays of up to 89 months and the privilege motion.
- 16 Oct 2026 (scheduled) – Venugopal’s statement reported by ANI.
What’s Next
The NMMSS workshop’s verification deadlines (31 Oct, 15 Nov, 30 Nov) apply to the 2026-27 academic year. The PAC’s privilege motion will be reviewed by the Lok Sabha Speaker, and the committee has asked the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to submit an action-taken note on the audit findings within a month.