Goa Government Notifies Fee Waiver Scheme for SC/ST Students, Amends Rural Development Yojana, and Delineates Urban Mobility Areas

The Government of Goa recently issued a series of significant notifications and orders, published in the Official Gazette on September 18, 2025, addressing various sectors including education, rural development, urban mobility, agriculture, handicrafts, and public administration. These instruments included the comprehensive "Fee Waiver Scheme for SC/ST Students pursuing Higher Education," amendments to the "Goa Gram Samradhi Yojana Guidelines," and the delineation of "North Goa Urban Mobility Area" and "South Goa Urban Mobility Area" for the implementation of the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme. Additionally, the Department of Agriculture amended its "Assistance for Purchase of Agriculture Inputs for Scheduled Tribes Farmers" scheme, the Department of Handicrafts, Textile & Coir extended its "Preferential Purchase Scheme," the Department of Legal Metrology sanctioned a new administrative post, and the Department of Personnel framed new recruitment rules for the Directorate of Mines & Geology. Each of these legislative actions came into force from the date of their respective publications in the Official Gazette.

The "Fee Waiver Scheme for SC/ST Students pursuing Higher Education" was designed to provide financial assistance to students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities, thereby fostering an environment of quality teaching and learning in Higher Educational Institutions. The scheme aims to alleviate the financial burden that often prevents SC/ST children from accessing higher education. Under this scheme, eligible SC/ST students, who are born in Goa or have been residents for at least fifteen years and have passed their qualifying examinations from institutions affiliated with Goa University, are entitled to a waiver of fees, including Tuition, Library, Laboratory, and Development Fees, up to a maximum of Rs. 40,000 per annum. Institutions are mandated to process applications and waive fees at the time of admission itself, subsequently seeking reimbursement from the Directorate of Higher Education. This new scheme effectively replaced and withdrew the earlier "Fee Waiver Scheme for SC/ST Students pursuing Higher Education" notified on June 7, 2012. The "Goa Gram Samradhi Yojana Guidelines (Amendment), 2025," revised the existing scheme to provide financial assistance to Village Panchayats for the creation of durable community, social, and economic assets and infrastructural development in rural areas. The scheme, funded entirely by the State, sets a prescribed limit of Rs. 50.00 Lakhs for each work, with provisions for works up to Rs. 100.00 Lakhs in special cases, subject to committee recommendation and Finance Department approval. A dedicated committee, chaired by the Minister for Rural Development, was established for project scrutiny, control, and approval, ensuring transparent implementation, monitoring, and audit mechanisms. The Department of Urban Development's notification formally established the 'North Goa Urban Mobility Area' and 'South Goa Urban Mobility Area' to facilitate the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored "PM-eBus Sewa" Scheme, which aims to enhance urban mobility through the deployment of electric buses. This delineation includes various statutory towns, census towns, and notified outgrowths from the Population Census 2011, with the Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd. designated as the implementing agency.

The legislative intent behind the "Fee Waiver Scheme for SC/ST Students pursuing Higher Education" was to bridge the educational disparity faced by these communities. The legislation provided: “The Scheme aims to provide access to every SC/ST student to all the Government/Government Aided/Self Finance courses in Government/Government Aided Institutes in the State by providing financial assistance.” This addresses the previous limitations where financial constraints often hindered access to higher learning for deserving students. Similarly, the "Goa Gram Samradhi Yojana Guidelines (Amendment), 2025" sought to strengthen the statutory framework for rural development by ensuring the creation of tangible and sustainable assets at the local level, thereby improving the quality of life in villages. The amendments clarified funding patterns, project limits, and established a robust committee structure for oversight, addressing potential gaps in project execution and financial accountability under the earlier framework. The extension of the "Preferential Purchase Scheme" by the Department of Handicrafts, Textile & Coir aimed to continue supporting local Small Scale Industrial (SSI) Units by ensuring preferential procurement of their products, while mandating the finalization of a new rate contract within the extended period. The creation of a Deputy Director (Admin) post in the Department of Legal Metrology was intended to enhance administrative efficiency within the department. Furthermore, the new recruitment rules for the Directorate of Mines & Geology, including provisions for Assistant Mining Engineer and Legal Officer posts, were framed under Article 309 of the Constitution of India to regulate recruitment processes, ensuring qualified personnel for critical government functions, while also incorporating clauses for relaxation and safeguarding reservations for various categories. These collective measures reflect a comprehensive approach by the Goa government to enhance social welfare, improve infrastructure, and streamline administrative processes across key departments.

Keywords: Goa, Fee Waiver Scheme, SC/ST Students, Rural Development, Urban Mobility, PM-eBus Sewa, Agriculture Inputs, Preferential Purchase, Recruitment Rules, Legal Metrology

Geo Tags: India, Goa District: Not Applicable