Scheme guidelines of the Central Sector Scholarship Scheme of Top Class Education for SC Students
CENTRAL SECTOR SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME OF
TOP CLASS EDUCATION FOR SC STUDENTS
(Effective from 2021-22)
1. Background
The Finance Minister in his budget speech on the Union Budget 2005-06 made the following announcements –
“The key to empowering the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes is to provide top class education opportunities to meritorious students. The three on-going scholarship schemes for SC/ST students under the Central Plan – pre-Matric, post-Matric and merit-based – will continue.
To provide an added incentive, I propose a new window: a short list of institutes of excellence will be notified, and any SC/ST student who secures admission in one of those institutes will be awarded a larger scholarship that will meet the requirements for tuition fees, living expenses, books and a computer.”
The Scheme was approved in 2007 and was subsequently revised time to time.
2. Objectives and Coverage
2.1 The Scheme aims at recognizing and promoting quality education amongst students belonging to SCs, by providing full financial support. The scheme will cover SC students for pursuing studies beyond 12th class.
2.2 The scheme will operate in all institutions notified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
2.3 The SC students, who secure admission in the notified institutions, will be awarded scholarship to meet the requirements for (i) full tuition fee and non-refundable charges (there will be a ceiling of Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum per student for private sector institutions and Rs. 3.72 lakhs per annum per student for the private sector flying clubs for Commercial Pilot Training and Type Rating Courses) (ii) Academic allowance of Rs. 86,000 in the first year of study and Rs. 41,000 in every subsequent year, to take care of living expenses, books and stationery, computer/laptop of reputed brand with accessories like UPS and printer, etc.
2.4 The scholarship, once awarded, will continue till the completion of the course, subject to satisfactory performance.
3. Eligibility
3.1 Those SC students who have secured admission in the notified institutions according to the norms prescribed by the respective institutions will be eligible for the scholarship under the scheme to the extent of the number of scholarships allocated to the institutes concerned. In case the number of students admitted exceeds the number of awards, then the scholarship will be restricted to the top ones in the inter-se merit list. The remaining students from SC category admitted in the institute in different courses shall be eligible for the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) administered by this Ministry as a centrally sponsored scheme, provided such students are otherwise eligible for the said scheme. In case, the institute finds that the number of eligible candidates in the 1st year are less than the number of scholarships allotted to it, the balance scholarships may be offered to students studying in 2nd, 3rd and 4th year, etc. one the basis of inter-se merit of previous year’s result giving priority to those with higher number of Years left to complete their respective course i.e. 1st Year students is to get priority over the 2nd year students and so on.
3.2 Thirty percent (30%) of slots allotted to the Institute shall be reserved for eligible SC girl students as per their inter-se merit. In absence of sufficient number of girl students, the slots may be transferred to eligible boy students as per their merit.
3.3 However, the 30% slots as mentioned above will not include those girl students who are selected on the basis of their performance in the overall merit list of SC students of the Institute.
3.4 The ceiling of total annual family income from all sources under the Scheme is Rs. 8.00 lakh and the general selection criteria among the eligible candidates of any institution must be the merit. However, if for the last available slot in an institution, there is more than one student with equal marks; preference may be given to the student with the lowest parental income.
3.5 The benefit of the Scheme will not be provided to more than 2 siblings in a family. The students will submit an affidavit to this effect in the Institute to certify that he/she is not the 3rd sibling of the family who is availing the benefit under the Scheme.
4. Institutes of Excellence and Number of Scholarship Slots
4.1 Institutes of Excellence and Number of Scholarship Slots:
All the IIMs / IITs/ IIITs / AIIMS/ NIFT/ NID/ Indian Institutes of Hotel Management, National Law Universities and other Central Government Institutes will be eligible to be included in the Scheme, subject to their applying for being included in the Scheme. If an institute is not in any of the above categories, it has to be included in current list of i). National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) A++ and A+ Accredited Institutions, or ii) Top 100 National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) Institutions, or iii). Institutions of National Importance; as per lists issued by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) from time to time. However, the overall number of fresh scholarships per year would be capped at 1500.
4.2 For Commercial Pilot Training Course and Type Rating Courses all Government institutes approved by Director General of Civil Aviation shall be eligible for empanelment under the Scheme.
4.3 In respect of those institutes in which fee has been waived for SC students, the other four components, namely -other non refundable charges alongwith stipend - may be disbursed under the scheme.
4.4 The list of the Top Class Institutions to be covered under the Scheme along with number of scholarship slots will be notified by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Any addition or deletion to the list shall be notified by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, as and when required, based on the recommendations of the Steering Committee.
4.5 Any institute not applying under the Scheme continuously for 3 years shall be removed from the list of notified institutions under the Scheme.
5. Funding Pattern
5.1 The Scheme will be funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 100% basis and the scholarship including fees and stipend components shall be released directly to the eligible beneficiary student, as per the scheme guidelines.
6. General provisions
6.1 The scholarship will become Payable to elegible SC students only upon securing admission in any of the institutions notified by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
6.2 The students, who are awarded the scholarship under the scheme, shall have to pursue the study in the respective institution on whole time basis.
6.3 With a view to ensure access of all students to the provisions of this scheme, the institute will incorporate the salient feature of the scheme in the prospectus in addition to putting the same on the website of the institute. The institute will select the SC students on the basis of merit and shall forward the details of recommended eligible students in the prescribed proforma Annexure- A for fresh students and Annexure-B for renewal students.
6.4 The performance of the SC students covered under the scheme shall be monitored regularly by the Head of the respective institution and the same shall be reported, through a report card, to the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment at the end of each academic year.
6.5 The notified institutions shall submit progress reports of implementation of the Scheme to the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from time to time, as required.
6.6 Any institution violating the provisions of the Scheme and/or instructions issued by the Government of India will be denotified.
6.7 In the event of denotification/deletion of any institution, the scholarship will continue to be available to the SC students already admitted under the Scheme, if otherwise eligible, till completion of the course. However, no fresh seats will be allotted and funds released to such denotified institutes.
7. Review and monitoring
7.1 The progress of implementation of the scheme will be reviewed by a Steering
Committee consisting of the following –
a) Secretary (SJ&E) - Chairperson
b) Joint Secretary & Financial Adviser (SJ&E) - Member
c) Joint Secretary (TA),M/o Tribal Affairs - Member
d) Joint Secretary, SC Division, M/o SJ&E - Member
e) Joint Secretary, Deptt.of Higher Education - Member
f) Joint Secretary, Deptt. of Medical Education, M/o H&FW - Member
g) A representative of the UGC – Member
h) A representative of the Planning Commission- Member
i) Director/Dy.Secretary, SCD Division, M/o SJ&E – Convener
7.2 The Committee may invite an expert as a special invitee, as and when it deems necessary.
7.3 The Committee may recommend to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment about addition or deletion of any institution based on their performance. For the purpose, the Committee may take into account the recommendations of the concerned bodies conducting entrance examination for admissions into such courses or having the administrative control over such institutes.
7.4 The Committee may periodically review the performance of the selected institutes on the basis of the academic results. The Committee may also recommend appropriate modifications in the Scheme, as and when required.