The UGC is also implementing other doctoral schemes to promote access to the marginalized and specific sections of society:

• National Fellowship for SC candidates;
• National Fellowship for Students of Other Backward Classes (OBC); and
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students.

Under these schemes financial assistance is provided to the students wishing of pursuing higher studies/research leading to the award of Ph.D. degree.

• Scholarship scheme in higher education revised: 19 lakh students with an allocation of Rs. 10,000 crores in the next five years.
• AICTE: One Model College in selected States, which will have all provisions in support of accessible education for Divyangjan, with a financial assistance of Rs. 5 crores each in 15 States.

The session deliberated on improving equitable access to Quality Education for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) through Bridge Courses, Earn-While-Learn programmes and Outreach initiatives.

The “Junior Research Fellowship in Science, Humanities and Social Sciences” (UGC-JRF-NET) is the UGC’s flagship scheme. Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to research scholars selected on merit basis, to pursue advanced studies and research leading to the award of M.Phil./Ph.D. degree. The reservations policy of the Govt. of India is followed in the selection of scholars from SC, ST, OBC, PwD categories of society.

Keeping in view the social background of the candidates from deprived sections of the society, UGC is implementing the “Post-Graduate Scholarships for Professional courses to SC, ST Students” scheme. Under the scheme financial assistance is given to the selected students from the SC, ST communities to provide them an opportunity to undertake post-graduate level studies in professional courses.

To promote the single girl child in society, to increase the sex ratio in favour of girls in education and to promote the small family norm in society, the UGC is implementing a scheme, “Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarships for Single Girl Child”. Under the scheme a girl student, who happens to be the only child in a family, is given financial assistance to pursue PG-level studies. Under another scheme, the Swami Vivekananda Single Girl Child Fellowship for Research in Social Sciences, financial assistance is provided for pursuing M.Phil./Ph.D. studies.

Pointing to certain facets of exclusion such as the lack of knowledge of higher education opportunities, economic opportunity cost of pursuing higher education, financial constraints, admission processes, geographical and language barriers, poor employability potential of many higher education programmes, and lack of appropriate student support mechanisms, NEP- 2020 suggests addressing such issues through a series of steps to be taken by the governments and HEIs.