Panel Flags Delays, Fund Underuse in Key Social Justice Schemes

• A parliamentary panel criticized the Ministry of Social Justice for delays, underutilization of funds, and slow implementation of welfare schemes for SCs, OBCs, and marginalized communities.
• The PM-DAKSH skill development scheme saw no spending until February 2024-25 due to delays, and only 19 of 55 central universities signed MoUs for the Free Coaching Scheme.
• 247 of 1,095 sanctioned hostels for OBC boys and girls remain incomplete, and scholarship amounts and SHRESHTA scheme fee ceilings were deemed inadequate.
• The panel urged urgent fixes, strict enforcement of construction deadlines, and accountability for delays, emphasizing that delays harm vulnerable communities.
• Only 10 of 17 recommendations were fully accepted by the government, with the panel directing the ministry to provide updated action-taken notes within three months.

Why It Matters: Inefficient social justice schemes deny vital support to vulnerable citizens.