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Background

The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities was announced in June, 2006. It provides that a post-matric scholarship scheme for meritorious students from minority communities would be implemented.

Objective

The objective of the scheme is to award scholarships to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of minority community so as to provide them better opportunities for higher education increase their rate of attainment in higher education and enhance their employability.

Scope

The Scholarship is to be awarded for studies in India in a government or private higher secondary school/college/university, including such residential institutes of the Government and eligible private institutes selected and notified in a transparent manner by the State Government/Union Territory Administration concerned. It will also cover technical and vocational courses in Industrial training Institutes. Industrial Training Centres affiliated with the National Council for Vocational training

(NCVT) of classes XI and XII level

Eligibility

Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parent’s / guardian’s from all sources does not exceed Rs. 2 lakh

Distribution

Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act.1992. The distribution of scholarship among the States/UTs will be made on the basis of population of the above notified minorities in the States/UTs of Census 2001.

Earmarking for Girl Students

30% of scholarship will be earmarked for girl students. In case sufficient number of eligible girl students are not available then balance earmarked scholarships may be awarded to eligible boy students.

Selection Procedure

Unlike scholarship for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, there are a fixed number of scholarships for minorities is small and limited. Students from BPL families, having the lowest income shall be given preference in the ascending order. The renewal applications would be fully exhausted before the new applications are considered.

Duration

Scholarship will be provided for the entire course. However maintenance allowance will be given for a period not exceeding 10 months only in an academic year.

Rate of Scholarship

Actual financial assistance will be provided for course fee/tuition fee and maintenance allowance as given below subject to a maximum ceiling indicated against item concerned.

Actual financial assistance based on course fee/tuition fee and maintenance allowance

Sl. No.	Item	Hosteller*	Day Scholar
1.	Admission and tuition fee for classes XI and XII	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 7,000 p.a.	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 7,000 p.a.
2.	Admission and course/tuition fee for technical and vocational courses of XI and XII level. (Includes fees/charges for raw materials,etc)	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 10,000 p.a.	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 10,000 p.a.
3.	Admission and tuition fee for under­graduate, post graduate	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 3,000 p.a.	Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 3,000 p.a.
4.	Maintenance allowance for 10 months only in an academic year (Includes expenses for study materials, etc)
	(i). Classes XI and XII including technical and vocational courses of this level.	Rs. 235/- p.m.	Rs. 140/- p.m.
	(ii). Courses other than technical and professional courses at under­graduate and post graduate level	Rs. 355/- p.m.	Rs. 185/- p.m.
	(iii) M. Phil and Ph.D (For those researchers who are not awarded any fellowship by university or any other authority)	Rs. 510/- p.m.	Rs. 330/- p.m.

* Hostellers include students who are not staying in hostel of the school/institute concerned but are staying as paying guest or in rented accommodation in towns/cities which are not the place where their parents reside.

Implemeting Agencies

The Scheme will be implemented through the State Government/Union Territory Administration.

Conditions for Scholarship

1. Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parent’s/guardian’s from all sources does not exceed Rs. 2 lakh. Unlike scholarship for SC and ST there are a fixed number of scholarships for minorities and hence preference for selection has been laid down. Students from BPL families, having the lowest income shall be given preference in the ascending order. The renewal applications would be fully exhausted before the new applications are considered.
2. The award will be discontinued if a student fails to secure 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination. Scholarship will not be awarded for more than the normal period of time taken to obtain certificate/degree/M.Phil degree/doctorate degree.
3. Scholarships will not be given to more than two students in a family.
4. The students should be regular in attendance for which the yardstick will be decided by the competent authority of the school/college/university.
5. Income certificate should be on self-certification basis by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper for self-employed parents and from employer for employed parents.
6. The school/college/university authority will certify the claim of the student of being an outstation students not residing in hostel of the institution concerned on the basis of permanent address and parent’s address.
7. Migration of students from one institution to another would not normally be allowed during the course of the academic year except under exceptional circumstances and in the interest of the student’s academic career.
8. If a student violates any other term and condition of the scholarship, the scholarship may be suspended or cancelled. The State Government/Union Territory Administration can also directly cancel the award if duly satisfied of the reasons of violation of these regulations governing the scheme.
9. If a student is found to have obtained a scholarship by false statement/certificates, his/her scholarship will be cancelled forthwith and the amount of the scholarship paid shall be recovered, at the discretion of the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration.
10. The State Government/Union Territory Administration will lay down the detailed procedure for processing and sanctioning of scholarships to eligible students.
11. Course fee/tuition fee will be credited to the school’s/ college’s/institution’s bank account. Efforts will be made for transferring it electronically through the banks.
12. Maintenance allowance will be credited to the student’s bank account. Efforts will be made for transferring it electronically through the banks.
13. The State Government/Union Territory Administration will maintain a separate account and records relating to the funds received from the Ministry and they will be subjected to inspection by the Officers of the Ministry or any other agency designated by the Ministry.
14. The student obtaining benefits under this scholarship scheme shall not be allowed to avail of benefits under any other scholarship scheme for the same purpose.
15. The State Governments/Union Territory Administration shall constitute a committee of the departments implementing such scholarship schemes to ensure that the students from the minority community, who may also belong to SC/ST/OBC category, does not avail scholarship from other sources for the same purpose and avail only from one source.
16. The fund for distribution of scholarships in subsequent years will be released after receiving the utilization certificate for the previous year.
17. The scheme will be evaluated at regular intervals by the Ministry or any other agency designated by the Ministry and the cost of the evaluation study will be borne by the Ministry under the provision of the scheme.
18. The State/Union Territory shall place all relevant details of financial and physical achievements on their website.
19. The regulations can be changed at any time at the discretion of the Government of India.

Administrative Expenses

As the magnitude of data to be entered and processed would be enormous as the scheme gets implemented over the years, there would be a need to engage qualified skilled personnel right from the beginning to ensure that the data based computerized systems are operational. Qualified skilled personnel possessing requisite expertise to operate computer programme designed for this purpose, enter, process, analyse, monitor, retrieve and transfer data should be engaged on contract basis as per need. Data provided by the States/Union Territories will be maintained and managed by the Ministry with personnel of similar expertise to be engaged on contract basis.

A provision not exceeding 2% of the total budget will be made to meet the administrative and allied costs viz. expenditure of the States/Union Territories and the Ministry for office equipments including computers and accessories, furniture, printing of application forms, advertisements, engagement of personnel, etc. this provision will also be used for evaluation and monitoring of the scheme, through outside reputed institutions/agencies engaged by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India and the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations.

Renewal of Scholarship

The scholarship, once awarded, may be renewed during the next academic year of the course on the production of certificate that the student has secured 50% marks in the examination.

Announcement of Scheme

The scheme will be announced by the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration well in time, through advertisements in the leading language newspapers and local dailies and by using other suitable publicity media.

Mode of Applying

The concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration will supply the application forms, till such time computerized systems are made operational. The application forms should be received back along with requisite certificates/certifications within the stipulated period.

Pattern of Financial Assistance

100% funding will be given by the Central Government to the State Government/Union Territory Administration.

Monitoring & Transparency

The States/Union Territories implementing the scheme shall monitor the financial and physical performance of the scheme at the State/Union Territory level. For this purpose, an IT enabled monitoring mechanism shall be in place. The State/Union Territory will be required to furnish quarterly financial and physical progress reports to the Ministry. The State/Union Territory shall maintain year-wise details of the students receiving scholarship, indicating school/college/institute, location of school/college/institute, government or private, class, gender, new or renewal, permanent address and parent’s address. The States/ Union Territories shall place relevant physical and financial details in their official website.

Evaluation

The monitoring of the financial and physical performance of the scheme will be evaluated by assigning evaluation/impact studies to reputed institutions/ agencies by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India.