PRAYAGRAJ, April 4 -- A sharp decline in the number of beneficiaries has surfaced as a key challenge in Uttar Pradesh's ambitious Sanskrit scholarship scheme, even as the government highlights improved transparency and efficiency through its shift to a fully digital system. In the 2025-26 academic session, the state disbursed Rs.4,01,00,025 to 26,657 students, ranging from Class 6 to postgraduate levels. This marks a steep fall from 69,195 beneficiaries recorded at the scheme's launch on October 27, 2024, bringing the number of recipients down to just 38.52% within a year. The significant drop has raised concerns over accessibility and implementation, stated officials. The current session is notable for the scheme's complete transition to digital mode, with scholarships being transferred directly into students' bank accounts for the first time. Operated by the Secondary Education Department, it is the first scheme in the department to be implemented through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Monthly scholarship amounts range from Rs.50 to Rs.250, depending on the level of study. Under the scheme, students enrolled in 403 government-aided Sanskrit colleges and 570 secondary Sanskrit schools across the state have benefited. The scheme was inaugurated by chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, where scholarships worth Rs.5.86 crore were distributed to 69,195 students. Due to the shift to online disbursement this year, funds could only be transferred between February 10 and March 26. Despite a budgetary provision of Rs.20 crore for 2025-26 to cover all students studying Sanskrit, only about 20% of the allocated amount could be utilised. In comparison, the previous year's budget stood at Rs.10 crore, of which around Rs.6 crore was disbursed. Deputy Director (Sanskrit) Ramagya Kumar said that students of Classes 6 and 7 received Rs.600 annually (Rs.50 per month), Class 8 students got Rs.900, Classes 9 and 10 received Rs.1,200, Classes 11 and 12 were given Rs.1,800, Shastri (undergraduate) students Rs.2,400, and Acharya (postgraduate) students Rs.3,000. Experts point out that one of the reasons behind the sharp drop in beneficiaries is that a large number of students are availing scholarships under Central government schemes, which offer higher financial assistance. As a result, many eligible students may not have applied under the state scheme. Other factors such as stricter eligibility norms, digital access gaps, and procedural hurdles are also being cited as possible reasons for the reduced coverage....