West Bengal Govt Distributes 'Student Credit Card' Among Beneficiaries To Help Them Pursue Higher Studies

In an effort to help students achieve their dreams by pursuing higher studies, the West Bengal government officials in the presence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee distributed a 'Student Credit Card.' The collateral-free loan scheme was launched last year in July as part of the pre-poll promise, which can be availed by students who have qualified class 10 examination.

The students are eligible to avail of up to Rs 10 lakh at a nominal annual interest rate under this scheme. For students from a poor economic background, this initiative will aid them in fulfilling their dreams. While emphasising the scheme's objective, a government official said, "The Education Sector in Bengal has taken giant leaps ahead. Accessibility, Affordability, and Quality of Education have been our top priorities. Our journey towards progress will continue unimpeded."

Scheme Losing Appeal?

The West Bengal Student Credit Card (WBSCC) scheme seems to lose its appeal among students and parents, as many have shown reluctance to attend the event on July 7 at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata. Last year in July, the state education department received over 1 lakh applications, but the bank cleared around 18,000 applications for loan disbursal.

A senior state official said, "After the scheme was launched following the Assembly elections last year, around 1.25 lakh loan applications have been received. However, to date, only around 18,000 such loan applications, just 14 per cent of the total applications, have been sanctioned."

According to the education department, around 18,000 students were slotted to attend the event on Thursday. Whereas, till Wednesday, the joint committee of the Bengal government received only 6,000 responses for attendance which is one-third of the target students. It signifies that the student's responses have been weak for some reason. For instance, upon contacting, some beneficiaries said they applied for the load last year, and now they no longer require the money as they have already arranged it from somewhere, reported The Telegraph.

Bengal has been the land that has nourished great minds over generations.

GoWB under the able leadership of CM @MamataOfficial has ensured affordable, accessible and quality education for all.

We want the youth of Bengal to have access to all opportunities they seek! pic.twitter.com/td1dIm4iXC

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) July 7, 2022

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