According to the report, the currently provided scholarship 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 programme has therefore failed to effectively fulfill its primary objective of supporting students financially and helping them remain in school.
The Human Rights Group stated that although various incentive-based programmes have been implemented over the past two decades in Nepal with the aim of institutionalizing inclusive education and reducing gender and caste-based discrimination, these programmes have not been as effective in practice as expected. The report particularly notes that the current scholarship amount does not cover even the minimum financial support necessary to ensure continuity in education for poor Dalit families and girl students.
The 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 to directly transfer the amount to the bank accounts of students or their guardians, publishing the list of beneficiaries, conducting social audits, and making regular monitoring more effective. Furthermore, the group has called for measures to ensure accountability by taking action against officials found misusing the funds.
Earlier, on April 21, 2026, the INSEC Lumbini Province Office, under the leadership of the Provincial Human Rights Defenders Network, had also submitted a recommendation letter along with a study report on the same issue to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law.