The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is the nodal Ministry for implementation/monitoring of the Scheme introduced in October 1994. The residents of the hostels having two-third students belonging to these categories are eligible to get 15 kg foodgrains per resident per month.

Since 2002-03, States/UTs have been allocated foodgrains equal to five per cent of BPL allocation to meet their requirement of foodgrains for the inmates of above mentioned Hostels and Welfare Institutions, etc.