Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme

• 1) Letter Physical Allocation of Scholarships and Time-line activities
• 2) Target
• 3) Time-line (for Fresh & Renewal scholarship)
• 4) TECHNICAL & PROFESSIONAL UG & PG COURSES COVERED UNDER MERIT-CUM-MEANS BASED SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME

The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious students belonging to minority communities to enable them to pursue professional and technical courses.

These scholarships are available for studies in India only and will be awarded through State Government/UT Administration or an Agency designated by the State Government/UT Administration for this purpose.

During 12th Five Year Plan, 60000 fresh Scholarships will be awarded each financial year, besides renewals among the students of minority communities in States/UTs throughout the country based on the State/UT-wise population of these communities. The distribution of fresh scholarships based on 2001 census is as under:

State-wise distribution of scholarship among the students belonging to minority communities.

Students should apply online. For this they should visit the website through URL www.momascholarship.gov.in. A link to the site is also provided in the website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, i.e. www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

After opening the site they should select the name of the scholarship scheme, they wish to apply. Then they should go to the ‘Student Registration’ tab as appeared on the screen and register themselves for online application.

Students should carefully read carefully the ‘FAQs for Students’ as appeared in the Home Page of the Scholarship website.

1. Financial assistance will be given to pursue graduate level or post graduate level technical and professional courses from a recognized institution. Course fee and Maintenance allowance will be credited/transferred directly into the bank account of selected students.
2. Students who get admission to a college to pursue technical/professional courses, on the basis of a competitive examination will be eligible for the scholarship.
3. Students who get admission in technical/professional courses without taking any competitive examination will also be eligible for scholarship. However, such students should have not less than 50% marks at higher secondary/graduation level. Selection of these students will be done strictly on merit basis.
4. Continuation of the scholarship in subsequent years will depend on successful completion of the course during the preceding year.
5. A scholarship holder under this scheme will not avail any other scholarship/stipend for pursuing the course.
6. The annual income of the beneficiary/parent or guardian of beneficiary should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh from all sources.
7. The Income Certificate would remain valid for One Year.
8. The State Department will advertise the Scheme every year and receive the applications online through the concerned institutions as per the timeline.
9. After scrutinizing the applications, the state department will prepare a consolidated budget for all eligible students and send an application in the prescribed pro-forma for release of fund from the Ministry of Minority Affairs for distribution of scholarship giving the details of each students viz. name, permanent address, telephone number, annual course fee, name & address of institute, whether hostler or day-scholar, etc.
10. The application for release of fund from the state department must be received in the Ministry by 30th of September every year.
11. The state department will maintain separate bank 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.
12. The fund for distribution of scholarship in subsequent year will be released after receiving the utilization certificate for the previous year. Annual inspection by the officers of the Ministry or any other agencies designated by the Ministry will also be carried out.
13. 30% scholarship will be reserved for girls of each minority community in a state which is transferable to male student of that community in case of non-availability of female candidate in that community in the concerned state.
14. If the target for distribution of scholarship to a particular minority community in a state/UT is not fulfilled, it will be distributed among the same minority community of other States/UTs strictly in accordance with the merit.
15. A student residing in a particular State/UT will be entitled for scholarship under the quota of that State/UT only irrespective of his place of study.
16. The number of scholarship has been fixed state-wise on the basis of minority population of the states/UTs. Within the state-wise allocations, the applications from reputed institutions will be exhausted first. The list of such institutions will be made available by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
17. The scheme will be evaluated at regular intervals and the cost of the evaluation will be borne by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under the provision of the scheme. An additional provision of 3% of the total budget will be made to meet the administrative and allied costs viz. expenditure on monitoring of the scheme, impact study, evaluation study, purchase of office equipments, engaging of contract employees, if necessary and other expenditure to run the cell etc. This will be shared between the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India and the State Governments/UT Administration.

The rate of scholarship will be as under :

1. The scholarship amount i.e. Course fee and Maintenance allowance would be credited/transferred directly into the bank account of selected students.
2. Scholarship will not be paid for the period of internship/housemanship in the M.B.B.S. course or for a practical training in other course if the student is in receipt of some remuneration during the internship period or some allowance/stipend during the practical training in other course.

1. The scholarship is dependent on the satisfactory progress and conduct of the scholar. If it is reported by the Head of the Institution at any time that a scholar has by reasons of his/her own act of 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 scholarship may either cancel the scholarship or stop or withhold further payment 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 in any scheme forever.
3. A scholarship awarded may be cancelled if the scholar changes the subject of the course of study or changes the Institution of study, without prior approval of the State Government/UT Administration. The Head of the Institution shall report such cases to this Ministry.
4. A scholar is liable to refund the scholarship amount, if during the course of the year, the studies for which the scholarship has been awarded, is discontinued or change in the subject of study.
5. The regulations under the scheme can be changed at anytime at the discretion of the Government of India.
6. The list of Graduate Degree level and Post Graduate level technical and professional courses under Merit cum Means based Scholarship scheme is available on the website of this Ministry i.e. www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

1. The scheme is implemented through Online Scholarship Management System (OSMS). It is mandatory for all students to apply online. The students shall apply on the scholarship website of this Ministry i.e. www.momascholarship.nic.in. After submitting applications online, the student will take print out of the application and submit the same to the Institutions/College or State Governments/UT Administrations together:
   1. One copy of the passport size photograph with signature of the student thereon (for fresh scholarship).
   2. One self attested copy of certificates, diploma, degree etc. in respect of all examinations passed.
   3. An Income Certificate issued by an authorized Officer in the State/UT be submitted.
   4. Self declaration of community by the student.
2. Complete application in all respects shall be submitted to the Head of the Institution, being attended or last attended by the candidates and shall be addressed to an officer specified for this purpose by the Government of State/ Union Territory to which the student belongs, in accordance with the instructions issued by them from time to time.

100% Central Assistance will be given.

1. Students, who have got admission in a recognized college to pursue technical/professional courses, on the basis of a competitive examination
2. Students, who have got admission in a recognized college to pursue technical/professional courses, without facing any competitive examination, will also be eligible for scholarship. However, such students should have not less than 50% marks at higher secondary/graduation level. Selection of these students will be done strictly of merit.
3. A scholarship holder under this scheme will not avail any other scholarship/stipend for pursuing the course.
4. The annual family income of the beneficiary/parent or guardian of the beneficiary should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh per annum from all sources.
5. A student residing in a particular State/UT will be entitled for scholarship under the quota of that State/UT only irrespective of his place of study.

Minority communities notified under section 2(c) of NCM Act, 1922 are eligible for this scholarship scheme. They are:- Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zoroastrians).

Students belonging to minority communities can apply for this scheme for studies in India only to the State/UT to which they belong through this institute/college.

The annual income of the student/parent or guardian of student should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh from all sources and the student also should have secured at least 50% marks in his/her last examination

What are the courses for which scholarship is provided for?

The list of eligible technical and professional courses are available in the website of the Ministry for Minority Affairs. Please visit Ministry’s website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

The scheme is implemented through the State Government/UT administration who receive 100% central assistance from the Government of India.

Ans: Students studying in other recognized institutes are entitled for reimbursement of a maximum course fee of Rs.20,000/- per annum. Students, studying in listed institutions (Reputed institutions shorted listed all over India, a total of 70 such institutions are there country-wide) are eligible for full reimbursement of course fee charged by these institutions. Detail list of the 70 institutions is available at Ministry’s website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

Maintenance allowance is given @ Rs.5,000/- and 10,000 for 10 months in a yea to day scholars and hostlers respectively.

The respective State/UTs Government should be approached for any specific information in this regard. Once scholarships are sanctioned, the States/UTs are required to plan the details of the selected students in the website of State Government/department concerned.

State-wise distribution of scholarship among the students belonging to the five minority communities is given at booklet of the merit-cum means scholarship scheme. This has been done in proportion to the population of minorities of the States/UTs concerned. For details visit the website of the Ministry www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

30% scholarship has been earmarked for girls of each minority community in a state.

In the meant 30% scholarships earmarked for girls of each minority community in a State/UTs is not fully utilized, it would be transferred to male students of that community in the State/UT concerned.

Advertisement would be published by the State Government/UT Administration every year inviting applications, giving the last date for receiving application forms, and the offices where the application forms are to be submitted. This advertisement should normally come out in the month of April every year. However, students are advised to keep touch of advertisement in the following months too in case it is issued after April

Students may contact the office dealing with the scholarships scheme in State/UT. For more details please contact Principal Secretary/Secretary of your States/UTs. List is in Ministry’s website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

The States/UTs are required to the detailed list of plan and scholarships sanctioned in the website of the department dealing with minority welfare/this scholarship scheme in the States/UTs

Income certificate could be submitted in any of the following manner:-

1. An income declaration by self-employed parents/guardians, stating income from all sources by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper.
2. Employed parents/guardians are required to obtain income certificate from their employer and for any additional income from other sources, they would furnish declaration by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper.
3. The income certificates issued by a duly authorized officer in State/UTs may also be acceptable of the affidavit.

A Self declaration by the student an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper that he/she belongs to a particular minority community notified under section 2(c) of NCM Act, 1922 is required to be submitted alongwith the affidavit.

Not more than two children in a family can avail scholarship under this scheme.

All details of this scheme available in the website of the Ministry for Minority Affairs. Please visit Ministry’s website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in