Revised Sambal Yojana Policy: MP Board Faces Challenge To Refund Fees To Over 2.2L Students

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has announced that students registered under the Sambal Yojana will no longer be required to pay examination fees. However, this announcement comes after the majority of Sambal students have already paid their fees, leaving the board with the challenge of refunding the amount. The board’s decision to waive fees under the Sambal Yojana was displayed on the official portal from September 27.

Earlier, the board had not provided this exemption for the current academic year, leading to confusion among eligible students. Out of the approximately 2.5 lakh students eligible under the Sambal scheme, the 2.2 lakh students had already paid their fees before the policy change.

The Sambal Yojana, officially known as the Chief Minister Jan-Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana, is a state government initiative started in 2018. The scheme provides social security benefits, including educational support, to unorganised workers. Under the policy, students from these families are exempted from paying examination fees for classes 10 and 12. However, due to an error in the MPBSE’s admission policy for 2024-25, this exemption was mistakenly removed, sparking widespread concern.

In response to the issue, the board quickly amended the policy and reinstated the fee exemption. MPBSE officials stated that the exemption will continue for all eligible Sambal students and have assured them that the confusion caused by the policy error is being corrected. The MPBSE is currently covering the costs of the fee exemptions, amounting to around Rs 26 crore annually. Over the past six years, this financial burden has grown to over Rs 150 crore. The board has repeatedly asked the state government for reimbursement of these funds but has yet to receive a response.