Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme For North East Region (2014): A Policy Analysis

Policy Update
Anisha Kashyap

BACKGROUND

The Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme was launched by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education for the academic year 2014-15. The scheme was launched with an aim to provide equal opportunities for students from the Northeast Region to pursue higher education, consequently increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the area Before 2014, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) was significantly lower in the Northeastern States than the national average. A cumulation of various factors, including financial barriers, geographical isolation, and agriculture-dominated societies, prevented students from pursuing higher education. The scheme was launched to bridge the gap by encouraging students to pursue studies beyond the secondary level.

Furthermore, the scheme aimed to provide an impetus for the students to pursue technical courses, as it was observed that the majority of the students from NER were enrolled in general courses. With an intent to reduce the economic burdens upon students, the scheme was envisioned to balance educational development in the NER to ensure regional equity. Gender inequalities in terms of attaining higher education in the NER were also rampant and a cause of concern, with a general imbalance in the literacy rates between males and females. According to a report by the Press Information Bureau (2018), it was revealed that female beneficiaries consistently outnumbered the male beneficiaries in subsequent years after 2014.

“Ishan Uday”, which translates to “Rise of the Northeast,” symbolizes the government’s vision of empowering the region through education. The policy rationale behind the scheme also aligns with the broader goals of the National Education Policy (2020), which promotes regional equity, accessibility and inclusivity. This scheme provides a holistic way to address both social welfare initiatives and developmental interventions.

FUNCTIONING

The scholarship maintains a slot count of 10000 each year at the rate of Rs 8000 per month for 10 months in a year. Allocation of slots for each state is done based on the population as per the latest census report of the respective state. Under each category, 50% slots are reserved for Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Law, Management and the 50 % is reserved for Science, Engineering & Technology, medical and allied fields.

The scheme has outlined certain core functionaries, which include:

1) To provide equal opportunities for higher studies in the NE Region.

2) To increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the NE Region.

3) To focus more on professional education in the NE Region.

4) Optimum utilization of NER Budgetary Allocation.

Additionally, the scheme outlines that the annual parental income of the eligible candidates should not exceed Rs 4.5 lakhs. Besides, it is important that students pursuing courses/programs through open universities are not eligible for the scholarship. Other exemptions include, students already availing scholarship for pursuing an undergraduate programme under any other scheme, students gaining admission through ‘management quota’, students pursuing courses such as Diploma Courses, or any course not leading to the award of a degree.

PERFORMANCE

Indicators suggest that the scheme has shown robust allocations and rising expenditure across financial years. The annual expenditure stood at Rs 74.74 crore in 2015-16, Rs 88.98 crore in 2016-17, Rs 61.10 crore in 2017-18, Rs 151.74 crore in 2020-21, suggesting a constant investment by the government for the upliftment of the Northeastern States. At the same time, geographical disparities are pertinent with larger states like Assam dominating the distribution, while smaller states like Mizoram and Sikkim receiving only a few hundred awards. Assam alone recorded 7482 fresh scholarships in the year 2016-17. Recent announcements indicate a slight increase in the amounts allocated. The 2025 cycle cited a stipend of Rs 5400 per month for general degree courses and Rs 7800 per month for technical/professional courses, as against Rs 3500 and Rs 5000 per month respectively in earlier years.

Overall, the performance of the scheme has shown consistent and positive performance since its inception. Although regional disparities exist, the scheme has provided an impetus to pursue higher education among the regional youth. However, there have also been rising concerns regarding fake documentation and the availing of scholarship money by ineligible candidates.

IMPACT

According to a report by the Press Information Bureau, by September 2018, around 68,207 students (fresh and renewal) had benefited with a total of about Rs 309.95 crore disbursed since inception. Being a centrally funded scheme and implemented through UGC, it is part of broader initiatives for NER alongside others like the Ishan Vikas Scheme (for School Children) to strengthen higher education access. An amount of Rs 109.84 crore has been disbursed to 13201 beneficiaries in 2023. [Ministry of Education, Annual Report (2023-24)]

Furthermore, in terms of scale and outreach, although the target of 10,000 scholarships has remained constant, the actual numbers have fluctuated. In the academic year 2015-16, a stable gender balance was maintained with 51 % females and 49% percent males.

The Ishan Uday Scholarship has been able to positively impact students towards academic excellence. Research found that the scholarship has motivated the students to enrol in higher education and make their studies a priority. Furthermore, it has also aided in better academic performance among the scholarship holders, reducing financial stress and constraints. However, findings also point towards a significant portion of the scholarship being utilized for non-academic purposes, which stands in paradox to the objective of Ishan Uday.

EMERGING ISSUES

It is evident that the scholarship, through its consistent efforts and funding, has been able to change the educational landscape of NER to some extent. However, research findings suggest that there are differences among the north-eastern states in the case of the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rates) of the beneficiaries, which is contrary to its principle of equal access and opportunity for all. Moreover, a comparison between the scholarship beneficiaries and non-scholarship beneficiaries suggests that the scholarship does not have a massive impact on academic development. It was also found through recent studies that the scheme has not been able to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the Northeastern Region. Thereafter, a huge sum of scholarship money availed is being used for non-academic purposes, for example, in supporting the family economically and financially. Furthermore, despite the scheme having been functional for more than a decade now, there is a lack of official documentation after 2020, revealing important statistics relating to the scholarship.

WAY FORWARD

Government funding to aid educational development in NER in recent years has increased through various schemes and projects. The increase in the GER is the prime objective of the policy initiatives of public spending. Therefore, it is important that large sections of students avail the scholarship opportunities, which can be facilitated through mass awareness. Firstly, it is essential that the UGC and Ministry of Education publish annual data on scholarship disbursement, including year-wise and state-wise figures on fresh and renewal awards, gender distribution and expenditure. This helps in important policy assessment of the scholarship and makes the scheme more accountable.

Moreover, timely and direct disbursement of funds should be a priority. Irregular payment mechanisms and delays discourage students from enrolling in higher education. Policy initiatives and mechanisms should place importance on strengthening Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems through Aadhaar verification. It also becomes essential to increase the scholarship amount periodically to meet the increasing demands in education. In order to evaluate the true impact of the scheme, it is essential to record not only the number of slots considered each year, but also factors such as inclusivity, employability, course completion, skill enhancement, among many others.

In a nutshell, the way forward for the Ishan Uday Scholarship lies in data- driven evaluation, timely implementation, enhanced outreach, and greater linkage with skill and employment initiatives. By strengthening the core foundation of its implementation, the scheme can transform from a mere financial support system to becoming a transformative instrument of social justice and regional empowerment, embodying its vision of the “Rise of the Northeast.”

SELECTED REFERENCES AND IMPORTANT LINKS

Das, K., & Kalita, S. (2025). Effectiveness of Ishan Uday Scholarship in case of Gross Enrolment Ratio and Academic Success in North-Eastern States of India. Shanlax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities, 13(1), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.34293/sijash.v13i1.9140

Ministry of Education. (2024). Annual report 2023–24. Government of India. Retrieved from https://www.education.gov.in

Press Information Bureau. (2018). Performance Report on Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme for NER. Government of India. Retrieved from https://pib.gov.in

Scholarships.gov.in. (2024). Ishan Uday special scholarship scheme for Northeastern Region (NER). National Scholarship Portal. Retrieved from https://scholarships.gov.in

University Grants Commission. (2021). Guidelines for “Ishan Uday” Special Scholarship Scheme for Northeastern Region (2023–24 cycle). Retrieved from https://scholarships.gov.in/public/schemeGuidelines/Guidelines_ISHAN%20UDAY_2324.pdf

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Anisha Kashyap is a research intern at IMPRI and a postgraduate student of Sociology from University of Delhi. Her research interests lie in public policy, gender studies and cultural studies.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author extends her sincere gratitude to the IMPRI team, Ms Aasthaba Jadeja and Bhaktiba Jadeja for their invaluable guidance throughout the process

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organization