The BJP-IPFT government of Tripura will provide financial support of Rs 1 lakh per annum to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and minority students for pursuing professional courses inside or outside of the state from this year.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, state education minister Ratan Lal Nath said this was decided in a recent cabinet meeting.

“In order to maintain transparency in the work of the state government and to provide quality education, the state government in its recent cabinet meeting has decided to provide post-matric scholarship to be given to selected candidates to pursue professional courses,” Nath said.

Nath added that students with a family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh per annum can apply for this post-matric scholarship.

About 80 per cent of students under the Tripura Board of School Education would get priority and rest 20 per cent of students from CBSE and ICSE.

“The education departments would soon give its advertisements and interested aspirants can submit an online application for different courses. The candidates will be selected on the basis of merit,” Nath told reporters on Wednesday.

He also said in the 2018-19 academic session, 56,000 students received post-matric scholarships, of which Rs 29.6 crore was spent for 15,808 candidates under the SC welfare department, Rs 24.50 crore was spent for 17,711 candidates under OBC department, Rs 36.26 crore was spent for 22,896 candidates under the tribal welfare department and Rs 84.40 lakh was spent for 1,115 students under the minority welfare department.