In a big move to woo them ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Nitish Kumar government has made some big announcements for Scheduled caste and Scheduled tribe candidates who pass the preliminary test of civil services examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC).

The Bihar cabinet headed by Nitish Kumar which met on Tuesday approved a proposal of SC-ST welfare department to provide assistance of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively to SC-ST students who pass the preliminary test for civil services examination conducted by the UPSC and BPSC.

Making this announcement chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said, "State government is committed to provide better studying facilities to SC-ST students who appear for civil services examination. The aim of our government is to ensure that SC-ST students who crack the preliminary test of civil services exams concentrate on the main examination rather than worry about the monetary expenses that will be incurred to pursue their dreams".

The scheme under which SC-ST students will be provided aid has been named "Anusuchit Jati evam Anusuchit Janjati Yojana".

Apart from this, the state cabinet also passed another proposal to provide 15 kg of free food grain which includes rice and wheat to students living in hostels run by SC-ST welfare department, OBC-EBC welfare department and minority affairs welfare department.

The cabinet also decided to provide Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to students living in SC-ST welfare department.

Also read: Nitish Kumar, Sushil Modi, Rabri Devi take oath in Bihar council

Also read: No one on Earth has right to tamper with reservations: Nitish Kumar speaks at Ambedkar Jayanti event