Jharkand's CM approves probe into student's scholarship scam.

Hemant Soren, Chief Minister of Jharkhand gives a nod for the state's Anti Corruption Bureau to probe into the illegal diversion of funds from a Central scholarship for minority students.

The scholarship scheme was launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2008 to help students with a family income of less than Rs 1 lakh annually.

“The CM (as Cabinet Minister in charge of Vigilance) has given his approval for ACB to investigate the Ministry of Minority Affairs-run Pre-Matric Scholarship Scam. The ACB will investigate the irregularities in pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means scholarship schemes and submit its initial report,” the Chief Minister’s Secretariat said in a press release.

An Indian Express report said that as per records in 2019-20, "Rs 61 crore was disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer in Jharkhand under the pre-Matric scholarship scheme, which was launched by the UPA government in 2008."

The investigation also pointed to a failure in several layers of verification of applicants — from the school to the state level." It added.

The chief minister took the step after a newspaper report revealed several cases of fraud by the interaction of middlemen, school staff, and state government employees.