₹8 Lakh Income Cap Proposed For Pune Municipal Corporation’s Class 10 And 12 Scholarships

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to introduce an income eligibility condition for its long-running student financial assistance programme for Class 10 and Class 12 students. Under the proposed change, only families with an annual income of up to ₹8 lakh will be eligible for the scholarship from the next academic year. The proposal is scheduled to come up for final approval at the corporation’s general body meeting on Wednesday, after which it will be formally implemented.

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The plan was earlier cleared by the Standing Committee during the period when the civic body was under administrative rule. Then Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, who was serving as administrator at the time, had approved the proposal. With the elected body now in place, the final decision rests with the general house, where the stand of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party will determine whether the rule change is adopted.

PMC’s Social Development Department currently provides financial assistance every year to meritorious city students who pass the Class 10 and 12 board examinations. Until now, there has been no income ceiling for beneficiaries. However, the civic administration has stated that the number of applicants and the total expenditure under the scheme have risen sharply in recent years, making it necessary to introduce financial eligibility norms to control costs.

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The scholarship is provided under two major programmes - the Bharat Ratna Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Educational Financial Assistance Scheme for students who pass Class 10, and the Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe Educational Financial Assistance Scheme for those who pass Class 12. Eligible Class 10 students receive ₹15,000, while Class 12 students are granted ₹25,000 for pursuing further education in government or university-recognised institutions. The scheme was launched in 2008–09, when the total expenditure stood at ₹4.79 crore. By 2017–18, this amount had risen sharply to ₹21 crore, reflecting a continuous upward trend.

Officials said the proposed income limit is based on a 2015 general body resolution, which had recommended running the scheme on a pilot basis for five years, followed by a review and modification of eligibility conditions. Using this resolution as a reference, the administration suggested restricting benefits to families earning within the ₹8 lakh annual threshold to ensure that the aid reaches economically deserving students.

Along with the income limit, the scheme will continue to follow academic eligibility norms. For the open category, students must secure at least 80 per cent marks in Class 10 or 12, while candidates from backward classes must score a minimum of 70 per cent. Students from municipal and night schools must also obtain at least 70 per cent. Differently abled students with more than 40 per cent disability are required to score a minimum of 55 per cent, while children of garbage collectors and biogas project workers must secure at least 65 per cent. Blind students must simply pass the Class 10 or 12 examination.

Applicants must be residents of the PMC limits and must have taken admission to a government- or university-recognised course after passing Class 10 or 12. The civic administration has clarified that the revised rules will come into force only after the proposal is formally approved by the general body.

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