India, June 16 -- The Government of India has issued a release:

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports headed by Shri Digvijaya Singh, M.P., Rajya Sabha presented the 381st Report on Action Taken by the Government on the Recommendations/Observations contained in the 364th Report on Demands for Grants (2025-26) pertaining to the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education to Hon'ble Chairman, Rajya Sabha on 16th June, 2026.

2. The Action Taken Report was considered and adopted by the Committee in its meeting held on 1st June, 2026. The Observations/Recommendations made by the Committee in the Report are enclosed herewith.

3. These Reports are also available on the following link:-

https://sansad.in/rs/committees/16?departmentally-related-standing-committees

381st Report

Recommendations/Observations of the Committee - At A Glance

(Paras 3.3.8 and 3.3.10)

(Paras 3.9.9)

Further, the income ceiling of Rs.4.5 lakh under PM-USP CSIS remains inadequate given the prevailing economic realities. The Committee therefore, reiterates that the family income ceiling must be uniformly enhanced to Rs.8 lakh across all schemes, all types of courses, and all institutions, without any conditionality based on institutional quality rankings.

On the Priority Sector Lending limit, the Committee acknowledges the RBI's revision from Rs.20 lakh to Rs.25 lakh as a step in the right direction. However, this falls considerably short of the Committee's recommended limit of Rs.50 lakh. Given the escalating cost of higher education and the availability of collateral-free loans under PM Vidyalaxmi, the revised limit remains insufficient. The Committee therefore reiterates its recommendation that the Department actively pursue the matter with the Ministry of Finance and the RBI to raise the PSL limit to Rs.50 lakh.

On the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Education Loans (CGFSEL), the Committee would like to highlight that the guarantee cover ceiling of Rs.7.5 lakh has remained unchanged since 2015 despite a decade of significant inflation in education costs. A general assurance of revisiting the ceiling during scheme renewal is not convincing. The Committee therefore, urges the Government to enhance the guarantee cover to Rs.20 lakh forthwith.

(paras 3.13.13, 3.13.14 and 3.13.15)

(para 3.16.9)

(paras 3.16.15, 3.16.16, 3.16.17)

(para 3.18.2)

(para 3.20.1)

(para 3.22.3)

(para 3.23.4)

(paras 3.23.5, 3.23.6, 3.23.7 and 3.24.1)

Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.