As per a 2006 scheme of the state government, all poor students whose parents' annual income was less than Rs.100,000, irrespective of their caste, were entitled to free educational facilities in the state beyond class 10, including access to various private professional colleges like those of engineering, medical and management.

For the scheme, the state government had a budgetary allocation of Rs.2 billion for both 2007 and 2008. Yet it went on to withdraw the facility for the non-Dalit students after forming a panel to examine the matter.

However, the Allahabad High Court suspended this order on a lawsuit by Meydha, a civil society group dedicated to the objective of equality in education.