Pune: PMC expenditure on school scholarships drops during pandemic

The scholarship scheme of Rs 15,000 for Class X students was named after Bharat Ratna Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and scholarship of Rs 25,000 for Class XII students named as Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe scheme.

The classes would be suspended for two weeks as a precaution (File/representation)

While the Covid pandemic forced an increase in expenditure on public health, it has also led to reduced expenditure on the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s scholarship scheme for meritorious students of Class X and Class XII.

The PMC started its scholarship scheme for meritorious students of Class X and Class XII in the city in 2011. The scheme of Rs 15,000 for Class X students was named after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and scholarship of Rs 25,000 for Class XII students was named as the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe scheme.

The eligibility for scholarship was a minimum score of 80 per cent for students from open category, 70 per cent for students from reserved category and 65 per cent for students with 40 per cent disability.

Additionally, the Shardabai Pawar scholarship scheme is implemented for civic school students who pass with 85 per cent in class X and 80 per cent in class XII. The scholarship amount of Rs 51,000 each is given to eligible students.

The civic body scheme had been receiving good response from citizens since its inception and the PMC had to divert funds from other budgetary allocation to meet the expenditure on scholarship every year. However, the expenditure on scholarship has reduced during the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, the PMC had to shell out Rs 21 crore from 2016 to 2019 to meet the expenditure for implementing the scholarship scheme but it dropped to Rs 15.08 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 17.88 crore in 2020-21.

In 2019-20 and 2020-21, there were 6,020 and 7,526 class X beneficiaries respectively as against 8,669 in 2018-19 before the pandemic. Similarly, the Class XII beneficiaries were 2,420 and 2,640 in 2019-20 and 2020-21 respectively as against 3,487 in 2018-19.

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“The number of applicants for scholarship schemes has reduced since the start of the pandemic. This even though the results for Class X and Class XII were good. It might be due to students’ apprehension in stepping outside to complete the process for scholarship,” said a civic officer.

Meanwhile, elected representatives in the Women and Children Welfare committee of PMC urged the civic administration to extend the scholarship scheme for all students who clear Class X and XII with a minimum of 60 per cent marks. They passed the resolution to change the eligibility criteria to a minimum 60 per cent scoring percentage.

“The current eligibility of 80 per cent for open category and 70 per cent for reserved category students is keeping many students from getting the scholarship. It is adversely affecting the self confidence of students. So, the scholarship criteria should be reduced to a minimum of 60 per cent score for all category students of Class X and Class XII. It will encourage more students in their studies,” the resolution stated.

Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar said the civic administration is not in favor of bringing down the eligibility criteria to 60 per cent for scholarships.

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“The PMC has suffered from shortage of funds in the last few years while implementing the scholarship scheme and had to draw from funds meant for other works.

Further, the budgetary allocation is likely to fall short by a large amount considering 23 new villages have been merged in PMC, which will increase the number of beneficiaries for the scheme. If the eligibility is brought down to 60 per cent then the expenditure on scholarship is likely to double,” he said.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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