BACKGROUND,OBJECTIVE,SCOPE,ELIGIBILITY,DISTRUBUTION,EAR MARKING,
BACKGROUND
The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities was
announced in June, 2006. It provides that a Pre-Matric scholarship scheme for
meritorious students from minority communities would be implemented.
OBJECTIVE
The scholarship at pre-matric level will encourage parents from minority communities to
send their school going children to school, lighten their financial burden on school
education and sustain their efforts to support their children to complete school
education. The scheme will form the foundation for their educational attainment and
provide a level playing field in the competitive employment arena. Empowerment
through education, which is one of the objectives of this scheme, has the potential to
lead to upliftment of the socio economic conditions of the minority communities.
SCOPE
The scholarship will be awarded for studies in India in a government or private school
from class I to class X, including such residential Government institutes and eligible
private institutes selected and notified in a transparent manner by the State
Government and Union Territory Administration concerned.
ELIGIBILITY
Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks
in the previous final examination and annual income of their parents/guardian from all
sources does not exceed Rs. 1.00 lakh.
DISTRIBUTION
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been
notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for
Minorities Act, 1992. A total of thirty (30) lakh scholarships are targeted to be distributed
as ‘Fresh’ Scholarships, besides, Renewal scholarships. The distribution of scholarship
among the States/Union Territories will be made on the basis of population of minorities
in the States/Union Territories as per Census 2001 for 2017-18 and as per the
population of minorities in the States/Union Territories of Census 2011 for 2018-19 and
2019-20 (as per Appendices- A & B).
EARMARKING
i) 30% scholarship is earmarked for girls students of each minority community in a
State/UT which is transferable to male students of that community in case of
non-availability of female students in that community in the concerned State/UT.
30% is the floor and not the ceiling for eligible girl students.
ii) If the physical target of scholarship for a particular minority community in a
state/UT is not utilized, it will be distributed among the same minority
community in other States/UTs strictly in accordance with merit and without
disturbing the national ratio for the Community. Any unutilized community quota
shall be distributed amongst other communities again in accordance with merit
and without affecting overall national quota.
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iii) A student residing in a particular State/UT will be entitled for scholarship under
the quota of that State/UT only irrespective of his/her place of study.
SELECTION PROCEDURE
Fresh – As the number of scholarships for minorities available in a year is fixed and
limited, it is necessary to lay down preference for selection. Inter-se selection
weightage is to be given to poverty rather than marks (the applicant is required to
submit an Income Certificate as per para-11(ii)). In case of same income, merit shall
be generated from ‘Date of Birth’ criteria of applicant (senior is preferred).
Renewal – There is no merit list generation for renewal cases. Renewal applicant will
get the scholarship if one has obtained 50% in his/her previous year’s examinations (at
the same Institute and in same course) and his/her application is verified by all
authorities (as designated by Ministry of Minority Affairs) and approved by State
Governments/UTs.
DURATION
The scholarships shall be provided for the entire course. Maintenance allowance will
be given as fixed lump sum amount in an academic year (as per para-9 below) for
2017-18 to 2019-20.
