Patna: The cabinet of chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday approved a scheme to provide Rs 1,000 per month as grant to students residing in minority hostels run by the state government with immediate effect.

The cabinet also approved a plan to open modern residential schools for students belonging to the minority community studying in classes IX, X, XI and XII.

"The Mukhyamantri Alpsankhyak Kalyan Yojana, under which Rs 1,000 per month will be provided to students residing in minority welfare hostels, aims at spreading awareness about higher education and increasing its rate among them," principal secretary, minority welfare, Amir Subhani said.

There are 33 minority hostels in which 3,350 boys and girls belonging to the minority community reside. Four new ones are to be inaugurated soon, while 11 more are under construction. The number of students will go up to 5,440 once all the new hostels start functioning.

Subhani said the cabinet also approved the Bihar Rajya Alpsankhyak Awasiya Vidyalaya Yojana and its guidelines for all-round development of minority community students.

"Residential schools for classes nine to 12, with modern facilities to teach arts, science, commerce and vocational courses, will be opened. Admissions will be through a competitive examination. Boys and girls of the minority community, whose parents' annual income is less than Rs 6 lakh, will be eligible," Subhani said.

These new residential schools will be affiliated to the Bihar School Examination Board and a government committee will run them. Such schools will be opened in all districts.

The twin decisions come on the heels of sops to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students last week.

The cabinet on Tuesday also approved the government's decisions to provide Rs 50,000 to those SC and ST students who pass the Bihar Public Service Commission preliminary test for selection to state civil services, and Rs 1 lakh to those selected in UPSC civil services prelims, so that they can buy books and attend coaching classes.