-The Hindu
MHRD data also indicates variation in size of loans disbursed, with OBCs, SCs and STs receiving lower amounts on average
Around 70% of the education loans disbursed in the country appear to be going to upper caste students, data on a government-funded surety scheme for educational loans furnished by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in the Lok Sabha has indicated.
The data provided was on the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL), through which banks can avail surety from the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for loans sanctioned up to Rs.7.5 lakh without any collateral.
The data available from financial year 2016-17 till now shows that of the 4.1 lakh students benefited under the scheme, a whopping 67% belonged to General Category (GC). Only 23% were from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 7% from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 3% from Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Please click here to read more.