The Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) has initiated the process to refund exam fees for 2 lakh students under the Sambal Yojana. The refund process, in accordance with new guidelines issued by the board on Thursday, will be completed by November 22. The refunded amounts will be directly deposited into the institutions' bank accounts.

Every year, over 18 lakh students take the Class 10 and 12 examinations conducted by MPBSE, which charges an exam fee of Rs 1,200. For the past 15 years, SC and ST students were exempt from the fee. In 2018, the government extended this exemption to students covered under the Sambal Scheme, which supports workers in the unorganized sector by providing social security and financial assistance.

However, this year, the board initially revoked the fee waiver for 2.5 lakh Sambal Scheme students, leading to concerns among them. After revising the policy, MPBSE decided to reinstate the fee exemption, but by then, about 2 lakh students had already paid their fees online. Now, the board is processing the refunds.

The government's directive specifies that eligible Class 10 and 12 students under the Sambal Yojana should not be charged exam fees, with the board covering the cost. However, MPBSE has yet to receive reimbursement from the state government, despite incurring an annual expense of Rs 26 crore for these students. This unpaid amount has accumulated to approximately Rs 150 crore, and the board has repeatedly requested reimbursement without any response.

Educational institutions have been instructed to update students' eligibility details on the MP Online portal and upload Sambal cards by November 22. Divisional offices will verify this data by December 3. The refund process will require coordination between district agencies and schools to ensure all eligible students receive their refunds promptly.

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