The government will provide 15 kg of wheat and rice per month to an estimated 1 crore students in all hostels with at least two-third of students from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

Announcing this decision, Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday said the government will provide grains at BPL rate which is Rs 4.15 per kg for wheat and Rs 5.65 per kg for rice.

In the Ambedkar hostels where all students belong to SC/ST, each student will get 15 kg of wheat or rice per month at BPL rates, he said.

“In all other hostels, be it government or private, where two-third students are from SC, ST, OBC and OBC among minorities, 15 kg of wheat or rice will be provided per student per month at BPL rates,” Paswan said.

He said that in such hostels, even students belonging to general category would get subsidised grains. All-girls hostels would also be entitled for subsidised foodgrains.

Terming it as an historic decision, the minister said that it is estimated that 1 crore students would benefit from this scheme.