New Delhi, March 13 -- Slots under the National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) scheme for Scheduled Caste (SC) students will double from 125 to 250 from 2026-27, while those for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students will increase from 20 to 50, the Union ministries of social justice and empowerment and tribal affairs informed the Parliamentary standing committee.

However, the 31-member committee on social justice and empowerment, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker P. C. Mohan, raised concerns over the funding and utilisation of the amount allocated to the NOS scheme in its demands for grants report for the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).

Under the NOS scheme, meritori...