Objective:

Scope:

• These scholarships shall be available for studies in India only and will be awarded by the Government of State/Union Territory to which the applicant actually belongs, i.e. permanently settled.

Definitions:

• "Group 1: Degree and Post Graduate level professional courses" shall mean all Professional courses in Medicine, Engineering, Technology, Planning, Architecture, Design, Fashion Technology, Agriculture, Veterinary & Allied Sciences, Management, Business Finance /Administration, Computer Science/ Applications (ii) Post Graduate Diploma courses in various branches of Management & Medicine(iii) C.A./I.C.W.A./C.S./1.C.F.A., etc. (iv) M.Phil., Ph.D. and Post-Doctoral Programmes (D.Lit., D.Sc. etc.) of Group I, Group II and Group Ill courses. (v) L.L.B, Integrated LL B, L.L.M (vi) Commercial Pilot License Courses from GoI institutes (including helicopter pilot and multiengine) (maximum 20 slots per annum)
• "Group 2: Other Professional Courses leading to Degree, Diploma, Certificate" shall mean all Professional Courses leading to Degree, M Ed. / M. Pharma., Diploma, Certificate in areas like Pharmacy (B Pharma.), Nursing(B Nursing), BFS, other para-medical branches like rehabilitation, diagnostics, etc., Mass Communication, Hotel Management & Catering, Travel/Tourism/Hospitality Management, Interior Decoration, Nutrition& Dietetics, Commercial Art, Financial Services (e.g. Banking, Insurance, Taxation, etc.) for which entrance qualification is minimum Sr. Secondary (10+2) and Vocational stream, ITI courses and Polytechnic where entrance qualification is Class XII or above.
• "Group 3: Graduate and Post Graduate course" shall mean: courses not covered under Group 1& Group 2 e.g. BA / B.Sc. / B.Com etc. M.A/ M. Sc./ M.Com etc.
• "Group 4: All post-matriculation (Post Class X level) non-degree courses" shall mean All post-matriculation level non-degree courses for which entrance qualification is High School (Class X), e.g. Senior secondary certificate (Class XI and XII); both general and vocational stream, ITI courses, 3-year diploma courses in Polytechnics, etc.
• The list of courses in various groups is indicative and States/UTs may add courses as per laid down standards in the State/UT.
• "Freeship Card" shall mean: A card issued by the State Govt./UT Administration that entitles a student eligible for a scholarship under this Scheme, to take admission in an institution, without pre-payment of tuition fee and hostel fee.

1. The scholarships will be open to Indian nationals belonging to OBCs, EBCs, and DNTs, as notified by the Central Govt./State Govt./ UT Admin.
2. These scholarships will be given for the study of all recognized post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognized institutions as specified in para 3 of the Guidelines.
3. Only those candidates who belong to OBCs/EBCs/DNTs so specified in relation to the State/UT to which the applicant actually belongs, i.e. permanently settled and who have passed the Matriculation or higher secondary or any higher examination of a recognized University or Board of Secondary Education will be eligible.
4. Students studying in the XI Class of the Higher Secondary School courses or the XII class of the Multipurpose High School will not be eligible for it being a continuous school course. However, in cases, where the 10th Class examination of such courses is treated as equivalent to Matriculation and students who after passing the 10th Class join other courses, such students will be treated as post-matric students and will be eligible for the award of scholarships.
5. Students pursuing Post-graduate courses in medicine will be eligible only if they are not allowed to practice during the period of their course.
6. Students who after failing or passing the Under Graduate/Post-Graduate examinations in Arts/Science/Commerce join any recognized professional or Technical certificate/diploma/degree courses will be awarded scholarships if otherwise eligible. No subsequent failure will be condoned except for courses in Group '1' and no further change in the course will be allowed thereafter.
7. Students, who pursue their studies through correspondence/online courses, are also eligible. The term correspondence includes distance and continuous education for courses in Central/State Universities only.
8. Only two boys of the same parents/guardians will be entitled to receive scholarships. This restriction will, however, not apply to girls. Accordingly, scholarships availed by girls of the same parents/guardian will not adversely affect the admissibility of availing scholarships upto two boys of the same parents/guardian.
9. A scholarship holder under this Scheme will not hold any other scholarship/stipend. If awarded any other scholarship/stipend, the student can exercise his/her option for either of the two Scholarships/stipends, whichever is more beneficial to him/her, and should inform the awarding authority through the Head of the Institution about the option made. No scholarship will be paid to the students under this Scheme from the date he/she accepts any other scholarships/ stipend. The student can, however, accept free lodging or a grant or ad-hoc monetary help from the State Government or any other source for the purchase of books, and equipment or for meeting the expenses on board and lodging, in addition to the scholarship amount paid under the Scheme.
10. Scholarship holders who are receiving coaching in any of the pre-examination training centers with financial assistance from the Central Government/ State Government will not be eligible for a stipend under the coaching schemes for the duration of the coaching programme.
11. The ceiling on the age limit for admission as regular students in different classes should be decided by concerned Institutions.
12. Employed students whose income combined with the income of their parents/guardians does not exceed ₹2.50 lakhs per annum shall be eligible for post-matric scholarship.
13. Unemployed students whose parents/guardians' income from all sources does not exceed ₹2.50 lakhs per annum will be entitled to the scholarship under the scheme.

Other Conditions for the Award:

1. The scholarship is provided on the basis of satisfactory progress and conduct of the scholars. If it is reported by the Head of the Institution at any time that a scholar has, by reasons of his/her own act or default, failed to make satisfactory progress or has been guilty of misconduct such as resorting to or participating in strikes, irregularity in attendance without the permission of the authorities concerned, etc., the authority sanctioning the scholarships may either cancel the scholarship or stop or withhold further payment of scholarship for such period as it may think fit.
2. If a student is found to have obtained a scholarship by false statement his/her scholarship will be cancelled forthwith and the amount of the scholarship paid will be recovered, at the discretion of the concerned State Government. The student concerned will be blacklisted and debarred for scholarship under any scheme forever.
3. A scholarship awarded may be cancelled if the scholar changes the subject of the course of study for which the scholarship was originally awarded or changes the institution of study, without prior approval of the State Government. The Head of the Institution shall inform such cases to the scholar and stop payment of the scholarship money. The amount already paid may also be recovered at the discretion of the State Government.
4. A scholar is liable to refund the scholarship amount at the discretion of the State Government, if during the course of the year, the studies for which the scholarship has been awarded, are discontinued by him/her

Duration and Renewal of Awards:

1. The award once made will be payable up to the completion of the course subject to satisfactory academic performance and attendance of 75% in every academic year. The attendance will be verified through an Aadhaar-based attendance System.
2. If a scholar is unable to appear in the annual examination owing to illness, the award may be renewed subject to the production of a medical certificate from a prescribed authority and acceptance of the same by the institution /college.
3. If, according to the Regulations of a University/Institution, a student is promoted to the next higher class even though he/she may not have actually passed in the lower class and is required to take an examination of the junior class again after some time, he/she will be entitled to scholarship for the class to which he/she is promoted if the student is otherwise eligible for scholarship. Further, in case a student fails in any class and then again joins the same class as a regular student, he/she will be eligible for a scholarship for one additional year or the actual period, whichever is lower.
4. If a scholar pursuing a Group I course fails in the examination for the first time, the award may be renewed. For second and subsequent failures in any class, the student shall bear his/her own expenses until he/she secures promotion to the next higher class.
5. The authentication through Aadhaar would be compulsory at the time of renewals, if not provided earlier at the time of admission.

Eligibility of Educational Institutions:

1. Institutions of National Importance;
2. Central University/State University/Autonomous colleges recognized by UGC and Universities/Colleges recognized under section 2(f) of the UGC Act;
3. Deemed Universities;
4. All Private Universities recognized by State/Centre;
5. Private Professional Institutions affiliated with a recognized Central/State University and covered by a Fee Fixation Committee as mandated by the Supreme Court;
6. Recognized schools/colleges for Classes XI and class XII;
7. Diploma granting Institutions as recognized by State/UT Governments;
8. Vocational Training Institutes affiliated to the National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT);
9. Institutions affiliated/ approved by the appropriate bodies like NMC/AICTE etc. or any regulatory body established by State/UT/Centre.

1. Candidates who, after passing one stage of education, are studying in the same stage of education in a different subject e.g. B.Sc. after B.A or B.Com. after a B.A. or M.A. in a subject after an M.A. in another subject will not be eligible.
2. Students who, after having completed their educational career in one professional line, e.g., LLB after B.T/B. Ed will not be eligible.