Chennai, Jan 5 (IANS): The parents of students appearing for the Tamil Nadu Rural Students Talent Search (TRUST) exam have called for an increase in the scholarship amount provided to beneficiaries.

Currently, students who clear the TRUST exam receive a scholarship of Rs 1,000 per year for four consecutive years, until they complete Class 12.

The exam, designed to encourage rural students in Class 9 to complete their school education, is limited to those whose parents earn less than Rs one lakh annually.

The 2023 TRUST exam, initially scheduled for December 14, was postponed to February 1 due to heavy rain across several districts, according to a notification by the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Government Examination (DGE).

There has been widespread criticism regarding the meagre Rs 1,000 annual scholarship. Rajarathinam, the father of a Class 9 student, said, “Without proper incentives, students are not motivated to study for the exam. Rs1,000 per year hardly qualifies as a scholarship.”

Similarly, M.K. Ushakumari from Erode remarked, “Students lack the enthusiasm to write the exam because the annual scholarship of Rs 1,000 is too small.”

Teachers have also raised concerns about inadequate preparation resources and training for the exam.

Palaniappan Rajagopal, a mathematics teacher from a government school in Nagercoil, stated, “While algebra is introduced in Class 8, the exam asks more complex questions. Relying solely on outdated question papers is insufficient.”

Currently, Tamil-medium students receive outdated PDF reference materials, while English-medium students lack any such support. In addition, many students from low-income families face challenges in accessing smartphones and the Internet for exam preparation.

Stakeholders are urging the government to increase the budget allocation for student scholarships. Teachers have pointed out the need for modern study materials, updated syllabi, and special training sessions to better prepare students for the exam.

The TRUST exam, introduced in 1991 by the government in collaboration with the School Education Department and Rural Development, aims to support rural students in completing their schooling. The exam covers topics from the Class 8 syllabus but is administered to students from Classes 9 to 12 in government-recognised rural schools.

Subjects include mathematics, social studies, mental ability, and science, with a focus on application-based questions to assess reasoning and comprehension skills.

During the 2023-24 academic year, scholarships were awarded to 4,130 students who cleared the exam.

However, concerns have arisen over a decline in the number of students scoring above 50 marks out of 100 compared to the previous year.

While the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) provides Rs 1,000 per month for four years to students from families earning less than Rs 3.5 lakh annually, experts argue that the TRUST programme offers better opportunities tailored specifically for Tamil Nadu’s rural students.

With an increasing number of parents, teachers, and stakeholders advocating for higher scholarship amounts and better resources, the government is being urged to prioritise reforms in the TRUST exam programme to benefit deserving students across the state.