Central Sector Scholarship Schemes for Students With Disabilities 2015

What is Central Sector Scholarship Schemes for Students With Disabilities 2015?

Objectives of the schemes are:

1. To support parents of students with disabilities for education of their wards studying in classes IX and X onwards so that the incidence of drop-out, especially in the transition from the elementary to the secondary stage is minimized,
2. To improve participation of students with disabilities in classes IX and X and at the post-matric stage of education.
3. To support students with disabilities to study further in order to prepare themselves to earn their livelihood and find a dignified place for themselves in the society as they face several barriers physical, financial, psychological, mental in pursuing studies and living with dignity. At times such students are deprived of harnessing their latent skills and thereby miss the opportunity.

SCOPE

Scholarships under this scheme will be available for studying in classes IX, X, XI, XII, post-matriculation diploma/certificates and Bachelors Degree or Diploma in India, to students with disabilities who are covered under the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 and the National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act, 1999. Only Indian Nationals will be eligible for scholarships. Scholarship under the Scheme will be awarded by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Department of Disability Affairs, Government of India.

IMPLEMENTING AGENCY

The schemes of Pre-matric Scholarship and Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities are Central Sector Schemes and will be implemented directly by the Department of Disability Affairs through an online scholarship management program and the scholarship amount will be disbursed through a designated bank (presently Canara Bank) directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Administrative cost will be given to the designated bank (presently Canara Bank) as per guidelines of Deptt. of Financial Services.

NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND RESERVATION FOR GIRLS

1.  Number of Pre-matric scholarships to be sanctioned every year is 46,000 (forty six thousand) only.
2. Number of Post-matric scholarships to be sanctioned every year is 16,650 (sixteen thousand six hundred fifty) only.
3. The number of slots of scholarships as mentioned above will be distributed among all the States and Union Territories of India. The no. of slots available to any State/UT is decided on the basis of percentage of population of PwDs of that State/UT in comparison to the total PwD population of India. Provided that in case the numbers of scholarships so allocated to a State/UT are not fully utilized, due to non-availability of eligible candidates, the unutilised slots shall be allocated amongst the other States/UTs where the number of eligible candidates is much more than the slots allocated to that State/UT.
4. 50% of the total scholarships available each year shall be reserved for girl candidates. However, in case adequate number of girl candidates are not available or not found eligible as per the terms and conditions of the scheme, the unutilized slots can be utilized by selecting suitable male candidates.

PROCEDURE OF APPLICATION AND SELECTION

1. The Department of Disability Affairs will announce the details of the scheme and invite applications by issuing an in the leading newspapers and through the websites and other media outfits. Applications will be called for through an on-line scholarship management program to be developed for this purpose.
2. The applicants should submit their application through the online system within the last date prescribed for receipt of applications. All requisite documents like photograph, proof of age, disability certificate, income certificate of the parent, etc. duly filled in the prescribed format will be required to be uploaded in the on-line system.
3. The candidates after filling up the application on-line shall submit a print out of the application to the School/Institute in which he/she is studying. The School/Institute shall forward the application to the Education Department of the State Govt. concerned after doing the necessary verification of the facts contained in the application like age, date of birth, PWD certificate, recognition of the course, fees received etc. The State Education Deptt. shall carry out necessary prudence check including recognition of the Institute concerned and forward the application with their recommendation to the Deptt. of Disability Affairs.
4. Final selection will be done by the Department of Disability Affairs based on the recommendations of the State Education Department considering, inter alia, the no. of slots available to that particular State. The no. of slots available to any State is decided on the basis of percentage of population of PWDs of that State in comparison to the total PWD population of India.
5. In case a candidate is a permanent resident of one State but studying in another State, his application will be considered under the slot of his home State and his application needs the recommendation of the Education Department of the State of which he is a permanent resident.
6. Merit Criteria for Selection: The following factors will be taken into consideration:

1. Fulfillment of eligibility conditions as given in the scheme.
2. Recommendation of the State Education Department.
3. No. of slots available to the State.
4. Merit of the candidate in terms of percentage of marks obtained in the qualifying examination.
5. In case of a tie in percentage of marks, the percentage of disability will be considered i.e. the candidate with higher percentage of disability will get preference. In case there is still a tie, the age will be considered i.e. the older candidate will get preference.

13. MODE OF DISBURSAL OF SCHOLARSHIP

The designated bank (presently Canara Bank) will ensure timely and correct payment of scholarship amount to the beneficiaries direct to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.

Who can apply for this scholarship ?

CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY

General Conditions for both pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes:

1. The scholarships are open to nationals of India only.
2. The students having less than 40% disability (Certified by competent medical authority of the state Governments/UTs.) are not eligible.
3. Not more than two disabled children of the same parents will be entitled to receive benefits of the scheme. Provided in case the second child is a twin, the scholarship under this scheme will be admissible to both the twins.
4. Scholarship for studying in any class will be available for only one year. If a student has to repeat a class, she / he would not get scholarship for that class for a second (or subsequent) year.
5. 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 another scholarship/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, equipment or for meeting the expenses on board and lodging in addition to the scholarship amount paid under this scheme.
6. Scholarship holders who are receiving coaching in any of the pre-examination training centres with financial assistance from the Central Government/ State Government will not be eligible for stipend under the coaching schemes for the duration of the coaching programme.

For Pre-matric scholarship –

She/he should be a regular, full time student studying in class IX or X in a Government school or in a school recognized by Govt. or by a Central/State Board of Secondary Education.

For post-matric scholarship –

1. These scholarships will be given for the study of all recognized post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognized institutions with the following exceptions:

 "Scholarships are not awarded for training courses like Aircraft Maintenance Engineer's Courses and Private Pilot license Courses. Courses at Training - Ship Dufferin (Now Rajendra), courses of training at the Military College, Dehradun, courses at Pre-examination Training Centres of all India and State levels."

2. Only those candidates who have passed the Matriculation or Higher Secondary or any higher examination of a recognized University or Board of Secondary Education will be eligible.
3. Courses at the level of post-graduate degree/diploma/ certificate are not covered under this scheme.
4. Candidates who after passing one stage of education are studying in the same stage of education in different subject e.g. B.Com. after B.A. in other subject will not be eligible.
5. Students who are pursuing two different courses of study simultaneously can avail the scholarship for any one course only provided pursuance of such courses are permissible under the rules/regulations of the Educational Authority concerned.
6. Students studying in Class XI of the Higher Secondary School courses of the XII Class of the Multipurpose High School will not be eligible for it being a continuous school course. However, in cases where Xth class examination of such courses is treated as equivalent to Matriculation and students who after passing Xth class join other courses, such students will be treated as postmatric students and will be eligible for the award of scholarships.
7. Students who after failing or passing the under 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 courses in Group-I.
8. Students who pursue their studies through correspondence courses are also eligible. The term correspondence includes distant and continuing education
9. Employed students whose income combined with the income of their parents/guardians does not exceed the maximum prescribed income ceiling are made eligible to post-matric scholarships to the extent of reimbursement of all compulsorily payable non-refundable fees.

ANNUAL PARENTAL/GUARDIAN'S INCOME

Scholarship will be paid to the students whose parents/ guardians' income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 2,00,000/- (Rupees two lakh only) per annum in case of Pre-matric scholarship scheme and Rs.2,50,000/- (Rupees two lakh fifty thousand only) per annum in case of Post-matric scholarship scheme.

NOTE 1: So long as either of the parents is alive, only income of the parents, as the case may be, from all sources has to be taken into account only and of no other member even though they may be earning. In the form of income declaration, income is to be declared on this basis. Only in the case where both the parents have died, the income of the guardian who is supporting the student in his/her studies has to be taken. Such students whose parent's income is affected due to unfortunate death of one of earning parents and resultantly comes within the income ceiling prescribed under the scheme, shall become eligible for scholarship, subject to their fulfilling other conditions of eligibility, from the month in which such sad incidence takes place. Applications for scholarships from such students can be considered even after lapse of last date of receipt of applications, on compassionate grounds.

NOTE 2: Income certificate is required to be taken once only i.e. at the time of admission to courses which are continuing for more than one year.

Note 3: Income Ceiling would be revised once in every two years linking it with Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers for the month of October of the year, preceding the year of revision and will be made effective from April.

VALUE OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Pre-matric Scholarship: The value of Pre-matric scholarship includes the following for complete duration of the course:

1.  Scholarship and other grant;
2. Allowances, and

Rates of Scholarship and Grant:

Allowances:

7.2 Post-Matric Scholarship:

The value of Post-matric scholarship includes the following for complete duration of the course:-

1. Maintenance allowance,
2. Additional allowance for students with disabilities, for the complete duration of the course, and
3. Reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees,
4. Study tour charges,
5. Typing/printing charges for preparing Reports/projects,
6. Book allowance for students pursuing correspondence courses,
7. Book bank facility for specified courses,

The details are as follows:

1. Maintenance allowance

Important documents

sprepost-scholar-da2014.pdf

advertisement_prematric_post_matric_scholarship_for_disable_students.jpg

Important Links