Patna: The desire for education among Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families in Bihar is emerging stronger than ever, as seen in the government’s recent welfare drive. Under the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samagra Seva Abhiyan, special camps organised across nearly 60,000 Dalit hamlets have received a significant number of applications for children’s school admissions.
Between April 14 and June 25, the state government received 1,62,174 applications from Dalit communities seeking school admissions for their children. Of these, 1,54,715 applications have already been processed by the Education Department, indicating a high execution rate of 95.40%.
For decades, there has been a perception that Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities do not prioritise formal education for their children. However, the latest data challenges this narrative. The campaign, launched on April 14 to mark the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ambedkar, aims to ensure the reach of 20 personal benefit schemes for marginalised communities.
Overall, 38,45,979 applications have been received under these schemes till June 25, with 18,42,545 processed so far, reflecting an average execution rate of 47.91%.
The schemes include admissions to schools and Anganwadi centres, Ayushman Bharat health cards, MNREGA job cards, Jeevika groups, sustainable livelihood programmes, and insurance schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana.
Applications related to Anganwadi centres have also seen swift processing. The Social Welfare Department received 1,17,404 applications for Anganwadi services, of which 1,07,570 have been processed — a completion rate of 91.62%.
