The state government is planning a special scholarship scheme which will allow meritorious tribal students to pursue higher studies in top foreign universities, sources from the chief minister's office (CMO) in Ranchi said on Thursday.

The scheme is likely to be announced during the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday. The state government hasn’t released any official communication as yet.

“The scheme may also cover meritorious students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Caste (OBC) categories,” the chief minister's aide said.

A special secretary ranked official in the Department of Welfare said that the CMO has asked the department to work on a scholarship scheme for meritorious tribal students from the state. However, according to him, the scheme is at a nascent stage as the welfare department is still working on the scholarship amount and other details.

“It would be too early to comment on the scholarship and the benefits that it will offer to students of the tribal community,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

The Hemant Soren-led UPA coalition in Jharkhand has been vocal about prioritising tribal development in the state. Addressing an event on the occasion of International Day of the World's Indigenous People in Ranchi recently, Hemant had said that holistic growth and development of the tribal community should be prioritised.

This scholarship scheme for foreign education is likely to help tribal students get 100 per cent scholarship for pursuing higher studies in 30 renowned universities, including Oxford University and Harvard University, sources from the CMO shared.

The government already runs scholarship programmes for class 10 pass tribal, SC and OBC students. Students willing to pursue engineering and medical courses are encouraged to avail existing scholarship schemes.

The chief minister will hoist the national flag at 9am on Saturday at Ranchi's Morhabadi Ground and also address a gathering of limited guests. He is likely to talk about the scheme during the event.

Preserving tribal rights and developing the community were among the major agendas of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) during the 2019 elections. Since taking charge as the CM, Hemant has spoken about tribal uplift in almost all of his public addresses.