The Human Rights Group of Rapti Sonari Rural Municipality, formed by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), submitted a recommendation letter along with a study report to the Education Section of the rural municipality on May 14, 2026, demanding an increase in the scholarship amount provided to Dalit students and girl students.
In the report submitted to Education Section Chief Mohan Budha Kshetri, the Human Rights Group stated that the annual scholarship amount of Rs. 400, which has been provided for the past two decades through local bodies to Dalit students studying in government schools and to girl students from non-Dalit communities, has become extremely low and ineffective in accordance with current market prices.
The report states that the current amount of Rs. 400 is insufficient even to purchase basic educational materials such as school uniforms, notebooks, and pens. The group concluded that the scholarship program, which was introduced to help economically disadvantaged Dalit families and girl students remain in school, has failed to produce the expected impact.
The group further stated that although the Government of Nepal has been implementing various incentive-based programs to ensure equal access to education, gender equality, and social justice, these programs have not been effectively implemented in practice. The report mentions that the current scholarship amount is inadequate even to cover the minimum financial support necessary for the continuation of education for students from poor and marginalized communities.
The Human Rights Group has demanded that the scholarship amount be revised in accordance with current market prices and increased to at least between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 3,000. It has also suggested implementing a system in which the scholarship amount is directly transferred to the bank accounts of students or their guardians, publishing the list of beneficiaries, conducting social audits, and making regular monitoring more effective.