Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday released the second and final instalment of the Umbrella Post Matric Scholarship, amounting to ₹130 crore, benefiting nearly 70,000 students for the 2024–25 academic year.
The event, held at the district auditorium in Tura, was attended by Education Minister Lakhmen Rymbui, senior officials and heads of educational institutions, with about 7,000 students joining online.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma said the state government had decided to release the scholarship amount from its own resources as funds from the Centre were yet to arrive.
The move, he said, was aimed at easing financial difficulties faced by students and ensuring timely support. He added that although earlier rules did not permit advance transfer of scholarships, Meghalaya had now worked out a mechanism with the Centre to enable early release.
Sangma said the ₹130 crore would be transferred to Meghalaya Rural Bank, after which account verification and processing would take a few days.
Students were urged to ensure their bank accounts were Aadhaar-linked. Reiterating education as a top priority, he said reforms to address long-pending issues of ad hoc and SSA teachers were nearing completion and could be implemented from the next financial year.
Education Minister Rymbui described the day as a “red-letter day” for students.
