Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students
This article provides detailed information on the scholarship scheme for undergraduate and postgraduate students offered by the Department of Higher Education, Central Government. Read on to know the details of the scholarship, the eligibility requirements, and how to avail the benefits of the scheme.
Details of the scheme
In order to promote higher education among the financially weak but meritorious students of the country, the Department of Higher Education, Government of India has introduced a scholarship scheme for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, including students of professional courses like engineering and medical courses. The scholarship will be made available to the students based on their Senior Secondary exam (Class XII) results. Application for the scheme has already opened for the year 2020-21 also.
In total, 82000 scholarships will be made available every year. Half of these (41000) will be allocated to girls. These scholarships will be divided between students passing from CBSE and state boards. Then further allocation will be done between state boards of different states based on the state population. For detailed information on the allocation of scholarships between various states, please refer to the guidelines of the scheme (available in the "Attachments" section of this article as a pdf file). It is also important to note that the seats allocated to each state will be further divided into the students from the three streams, Science, Commerce, and Humanities (as chosen at the +2 level) in the ratio of 3:2:1. Also, government norms for reservation for SC, ST, OBC, and PwD candidates will be applicable.Eligibility
In order to avail the benefits of this scholarship, students need to fulfil the following criteria:Scholarship amount
The scholarship amount is Rs 10,000 per year for the first three years of the undergraduate courses. Whereas, for the duration of the postgraduate course it is Rs 20,000 per year. For professional courses of five-year duration, the students will receive Rs 10,000 per year for the first three years and Rs 20,000 for the last two years. For integrated courses also, the students will receive Rs 20,000 per year for the last two years.Procedure for applying for scholarship
The students can apply for this scholarship through the National Scholarship Portal i.e. scholarships.gov.in. In order to apply for this scholarship, they will have to create an account at NSP and then submit the relevant data. After this, documents like the Class XII mark sheet, income certificate, etc will have to be submitted to your college/institute. According to the guidelines released on NSP (available as the pdf on the "Attachments" section of this article), Aadhaar is needed. However if Aadhaar is not issued then Aadhaar enrolment ID slip, Voter, ID, PAN, etc can also be submitted. Finally, the bank account details will have to be submitted. Post verification at the institute level and state board level, a merit list will be generated. If selected, the student will receive the money through the PFMS system.
The scholarship is renewable on a year-to-year basis up to the postgraduate level. Even if you change your college/institute you can continue to avail of the benefits of the scheme provided the course of study and the institute is a recognized one.Important dates
Conclusion
We hope this article helps aspiring students who are seeking relevant information regarding scholarships. In case of any query, you can call the helpline numbers mentioned in the NSP portal (scholarships.gov.,in). Also, contact information is given in the guidelines attached below to this article.
I think for the meritorious students who have secured a very good score in their higher secondary examination it is a great opportunity to apply and avail this financial aid from the Govt. There is a cap on the income of the parents and it is definitely a good point for the low-income group students to try to get this scholarship. One thing which is very encouraging here is that the number of scholarships is quite high and for girls, it seems to be a goldmine opportunity as so many of them are reserved for that category. I wish the eligible candidates should invariably apply for it and should not miss this lifetime opportunity for getting such a lucrative scholarship during one's graduation or post-graduation.