Aikyashree – Scholarship Eligibility, Benefits, How to Apply & More

Aikyashree is a scholarship programme under WBMDFC (West Bengal Minority Development and Finance Corporation), which is intended to support deserving students (at both school and college level) of West Bengal. Aikyashree Scholarship programme is operated by the Government of West Bengal and its subsidiary boards, who provide financial assistance to exemplary, worthy and impoverished students of the state to help them continue their higher studies. 

WBMDFC started the Aikyashree Scholarship Programme for minority students (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains) in West Bengal to provide more socio-economic benefits and educational opportunities to them.

This is an end-to-end scholarship portal for WB minorities students. Students from Class 1 to PhD level can apply for various WB Government scholarship schemes through the WBMDFC Aikyashree Scholarship Portal.

This article will give the students a complete overview of Aikyashree scholarships, the application process, students’ eligibility, and the application period.

Aikyashree – What is it?

Aikyashree is a commendable online scholarship programme that awards the students belonging from financially poor backgrounds and minority communities. It is one of the most helpful programs by West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation that promotes talented students and supports them financially. 

Fully funded by the West Bengal State Government, the Aikyashree scholarship supports the entire educational expenses of the deserving students. The monetary help includes hostel stay fees and free of cost school and college education for meritorious students.

Aikyashree – Important Highlights

Before any student applies for the Aikyashree scholarship programme, know the important details of this scheme.

Aikyashree Scholarship – Important Information 

Particulars	Details
Name of the Scholarship Programme	Aikyashree Scholarship (ঐক্যশ্রী স্কলারশিপ)
Launched by	West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (WBMDFC)
Ministry Name	Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department Govt. Of West Bengal
Launched in	West Bengal State
Launched for	Students belonging to Minority Community (Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi & Christian)
Name of the Department	Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department
Scholarship Type	State Government scheme
Method of Application	Online
Official Website	www.wbmdfcscholarship.in www.wbmdfc.org
Session	2020-21
Eligible Courses	Class 1 to PhD Course
Application Start Date	1st August 2020
Application Closing Date	15th November 2020
Helpline Number	1800-120-2130 6290875550 (Technical Helpdesk)
Helpline Email ID	scholarship.wbmdfc@gmail.com

Aikyashree – Benefits of Scholarship Programme

There are several scholarship programmes under West Bengal Minority Development and Finance Corporation (WBMDFC). However, this corporation has chosen to set up the Aikyashree scholarship so that students from minority communities such as Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsee, Jain can avail financial upliftment from the State government.

Besides this reason, there are several other reasons why the Aikyashree scholarship programme was created. You will find a few of the reasons in the below list:

This scholarship will –  

1. Provide education loans for poor and meritorious students to continue their studies
2. Undertake programmes to empower women from minority groups
3. Make students financially independent with the help of education
4. Improve the literacy ratio in West Bengal
5. Provide training to students for various competitive exams
6. Promote training programmes to develop and upgrade the skills of students
7. Provide different scholarships for poor but dedicated students

Aikyashree – List of Scholarships with Details

West Bengal Minorities’ Development and Finance Corporation, through Aikyashree Scholarship 2020 Portal, is providing students with 5 government scholarship schemes namely – 

1. WB Pre Matric Scholarship
2. WB Post Matric Scholarship
3. Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal
4. Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)
5. Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal

Aikyashree Scholarship Programmes

Scholarship name	Details
West Bengal Pre- matric Scholarship	Students of Class 9 and Class 10 can apply for this scholarship programme. The chosen students can avail the scholarship amount ranging from Rs. 150 to Rs. 750 per month. Besides the scholarship amount, the selected students get an additional Ad hoc Reward of up to Rs. 1000 per year.
West Bengal Post-matric Scholarship	Students of Class 11, Class 12, Graduation, and Post-graduation can apply for this scholarship programme. This scholarship offers financial support to SC, ST and OBC students studying in post matriculation or post-secondary level. The chosen students can avail the scholarship amount ranging from Rs. 160 to Rs. 1200 per month.
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal	This scholarship is intended for female students. The scholarship is only offered to students who have qualified class 12th from any board in West Bengal. Female students seeking an undergraduate degree course in Basic Science/ Engineering/Medicine at any institute of West Bengal can apply for this scholarship programme. The chosen students will get Rs. 3000 per month.  Besides the scholarship amount, the student will also get a yearly book grant of Rs. 2000.
Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)	This is a  merit-cum-means based scholarship. Students from Class 11 to PhD level candidates can apply for this scholarship programme. Financial support of up to Rs. 8000 per month is given to minority students depending on the level of education or program. The distribution of this scholarship fund is mainly based on the student’s academic advantage and financial need.
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal	This scholarship is offered to assist and support students studying Hindi language in Non-Hindi speaking states like West Bengal. Students studying in higher secondary, undergraduate, postgraduate and research level courses (M.Phil., PhD or M.Lit. etc.) can apply for this scholarship.  The chosen students can avail the scholarship amount ranging from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1000 per month.

Aikyashree – Scholarship Provider Details

Every scholarship scheme under Aikyashree is provided by different departments under the State Government. You will find the provider details for all the scholarships in the below table:

Name of Scholarship	Provider Name
Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities, West Bengal	Government of West Bengal
West Bengal Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC	Backward Classes Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal	Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS), Kolkata
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal	Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology and Biotechnology, Government of West Bengal
West Bengal Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC ST Students	Backward Classes Welfare Department, Government of West Bengal

Aikyashree – Scholarship Application Period

Name of Scholarship	Application Period*
Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities, West Bengal	July to September
West Bengal Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC	September to November
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal	May to July
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal	October to December
West Bengal Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC ST Students	September to November

* The application session schedule may differ from year to year as per situation and discretion of the scholarship provider

Aikyashree – Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria are different for different types of Aikyashree scholarships. Students have to apply for the scholarships as per their education level. 

West Bengal Pre-matric Scholarship (SC/ST Students)

• The student must be a domicile of West Bengal.
• He or she must be a student of Class 9 or 10.
• The student must belong to either SC or ST category.
• The annual family income of the student should not exceed Rs. 2 lakh.

West Bengal Post-matric Scholarship

• The student must be a domicile of West Bengal.
• The student must belong to either SC, ST or OBC category.
• Students eligible to apply for this scholarship are the ones studying in Class 11, 12, Graduation or Post Graduation.
• The annual family income of the student should not exceed Rs. 1 lakh for OBC,  Rs. 2 Lakh for SC  and Rs. 2.5 Lakh for ST category students.

Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal

• The student must be a domicile of West Bengal.
• This student should be female.
• Candidates should have qualified Class 12th from any board.
• The student must be aspiring to pursue education in the fields of Engineering, Medicine or Basic Science at a known institution in West Bengal.

Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)

• The student must be a domicile of West Bengal.
• The student must be studying in  Class 11 or 12.

Or 

The student must be pursuing graduation in Engineering, Medical and Technical/Professional courses if they are not studying the general Undergraduate or Postgraduate level degree courses.

• If the student is studying at the higher secondary level or pursuing diploma, he or she must have secured at least 75% marks in class 10th.
• If the student is studying at the undergraduate level, he or she must have secured at least 75% marks in class 12th.
• The annual family income of the student should not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh.
• The scholarships will be sanctioned to deserving students on merit-cum-means criteria.
• Students pursuing M.Phil. courses and Doctoral courses from state-aided institutions are also eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal

• The student must be a resident of West Bengal.
• He or she should belong from a non-Hindi speaking state.
• The student must have passed any one of the following degree courses – Madhyamik, higher secondary, graduation, PG or any equivalent degree course
• The student must have secured at least 60% marks in the earlier qualifying exam, in the first trial, with Hindi as one of the subjects

Aikyashree – Scholarship Rewards

The Aikyashree scholarship amount is awarded to only those students who have scored more than 50% marks in their previous examination. The scholarship amount is granted to eligible students from the State Government fund. The scholarship amount is given to the beneficiaries under two groups – Day scholars and Hostellers. 

Students can find below the detailed scholarship incentives in both categories.

Scholarship Incentives for Hostellers

Types of Scholarship	Class of Study	Admission fee & tuition fee waiver	Maintenance Allowance waiver	Total benefit
Pre-Matric	6 to 10	Rs. 4400	Rs.  6600	Rs. 11,000
Post-Matric	11 and 12	Rs. 7700	Rs. 4200	Rs. 11,900
	11 and 12 (technical and vocational courses of this level)	Rs. 11,000	Rs. 4200	Rs. 15,200
	Undergraduate and Postgraduate	Rs. 3300	Rs. 6300	Rs. 9600
	M.Phil.	Rs. 3300	Rs. 13,200	Rs. 16,500
Merit-cum-Means	Medical Engineering, Management, Law, Chartered Accountant, etc. courses	Rs. 22,000	Rs. 11,000	Rs. 33,000

Scholarship Incentives for Day Scholars

Types of Scholarship	Class of Study	Admission fee & tuition fee waiver	Maintenance Allowance waiver	Total Benefits
Pre-Matric	1 to 5	–	Rs. 1100	Rs. 1100
	6 to 10	Rs. 4400	Rs. 1100	Rs. 5500
Post-Matric	11 and 12	Rs. 7700	Rs. 2500	Rs. 10200
	11 and 12 (technical and vocational courses of this level)	Rs. 11,000	Rs. 2500	Rs. 13500
	Undergraduate and Postgraduate	Rs. 3300	Rs. 3300	Rs. 6600
	M.Phil.	Rs. 3300	Rs. 6000	Rs. 9300
Merit-cum-Means	Medical Engineering, Management, Law, Chartered Accountant, etc. courses	Rs. 22,000	Rs. 5500	Rs. 27500

Aikyashree – Selection Procedure

There are 2 categories of students who can attain Aikyashree scholarship:

1. New candidates
2. Candidates applying for a renewal scholarship

• For New Scholarship, the corporation will only consider a student eligible based on merit and subject to the budgetary allocation provided by the State Government
• For Renewal Scholarship, the corporation will only consider students who have obtained 50% marks in his/her previous examination

Aikyashree – Application Portals

In the table below, students will find detailed steps to fill and submit the Aikyashree application form. But to make things easier, Buddy4Study has compiled the appropriate application portal addresses for all the schemes and scholarships provided by Aikyashree scholarship programme. 

West Bengal Pre- matric Scholarship	The application can be sent via the portal http://oasis.gov.in/
West Bengal Post-matric Scholarship	The application can be sent via the portal http://oasis.gov.in/
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal	The application can be sent via the portal https://jbnsts.ac.in/
Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)	The application can be received via the portal www.wbmdfcscholarship.gov.in or https://svmcm.wbhed.gov.in
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal	The application can be sent offline to the following address: Scholarship & Stipend Section of Education, Directorate, West Bengal, Bikash Bhawan, DF Block, Salt Lake Sector 1, Bidhannagar, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091

Aikyashree – Step by Step Application Procedure

To continue with the Aikyashree application process, students must follow the below steps:

Step 1 – Student Registration

1. Visit the official website of WBMDFC portal or directly click on Aikyashree Scholarship portal

2. Click on the New Registration

3. Select the District of your Institute

 

4. Enter the details like your Name, District, Guardians Name, DOB, Mobile Number, Email ID and Bank Account Number in the registration form

5. Now click on Submit and Proceed.

Step 2 – Scheme Eligibility

1. Enter the details in the scheme eligibility column on the webpage like the current institution, its location, class or course name, the last exam passed, name of the board, year of passing the last exam, percentage marks obtained, annual family income and email ID.

2. Check the details carefully and click on the Submit & Proceed tab

Step 3 – Registration Completion 

1. After you complete the above step, a temporary User ID will be generated.

2. Check your email or inbox as the password will be sent there

Step 4 – Student’s Login

1. Login with Your User ID and Password on Student Log-In window

2. Enter the below-mentioned details:

• Basic Information
• Academic Information
• Bank Account Information

3. For extra safety, change your password (it is mandatory) and click on Submit

Step 5 – Final Submission

1. Enter the details under Basic Information option

2. Click Submit and Proceed

3. Then enter the details under Academic Information option

4. Click Submit and Proceed

5. Fill Up Bank Account Information and verify

6. Finally, verify all the details by clicking the Pre-View tab

7. Click on Final Submit tab

Step 6 – Verification and Print Out

1. Carefully verify the details that you have entered in the previous step

2. After you are sure of the information that you have entered in the designated slots, take a printout copy of the application form

3. Submit the application form at the concerned institute along with a photocopy of your bank passbook containing bank account number and IFSC Code

Aikyashree – Documents Required During Application Process

Students who wish to enrol themselves and apply for Aikyashree scholarship must have the access to the necessary certificates and documents before moving ahead to the application process. 

1. Self-certified community certificate
2. Income certificate
3. Fee receipt of the current course year
4. Self-attested certificate of previous year’s mark sheet
5. Residential/Domicile certificate
6. Bank account details
7. Passport size photo of the applicant

Application Process for Renewal of Aikyashree Scholarship

In case a student wants to renew his/her WBMDFC scholarship, he/she needs to follow the below steps:

1. Visit the official website  for All Scholarship (Pre-Matric, Post Matric, MCM, TSP, SVMCM scholarship)

2. Click on the Renewal Application option, which will take you to a new window

3. Select your district and click OK on the dialogue box appearing on the screen

4. Log in by entering the application ID, date of birth, district and captcha code

5. Click Login

6. An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. Enter the sent OPT and submit. 

7. There will be two options – Renew Application and Withdraw Application. Click on Renew Application

8. Enter the asked details in the registration form like name, date of birth, email ID, parent’s name, gender, religion, etc.

9. Click on Submit and Next

10. Enter previous and current academic details 

11. Click on Submit and Next

12. Check and verify your bank details like IFSC, bank and branch name, bank account number and name in the bank account as per passbook

13. Tick the confirmation box ‘I confirm that the bank account details are ok to the best of my knowledge & belief’

14. Click on Submit and Next

15. Upload the necessary documents with the form (your institute verification certificate)

16. Submit the application form by clicking Submit and Next tab

17. Finally, review the details before finally submitting the form

18. Click on Submit and Lock Renewal Application tab

19. A popup will be displayed asking if the details are correct. If they are, click on OK

20. Click on Print Renewal Application to get your application’s printout.

Aikyashree Scholarship 2020 – Last Date of Application Renewal

Students who received the West Bengal Minority Scholarship last year can apply for Aikyashree scholarship renewal application. The online renewal application for Aikyashree Scholarship 2020 started from 1st August 2020. 

The last date to apply for the Aikyashree Scholarship Renewal Application is 15th November 2020. The date may get extended as per the current situation. 

How to Retrieve Aikyashree Application ID or Password?

In case any student forgets his or her last year’s Aikyashree Scholarship Application ID and Password, they can retrieve it easily from the official website using their Registered Mobile Number, Date of Birth and Bank account number.

Students will find below the detailed steps to retrieve Aikyashree application ID or password:

1. Visit the official website of Aikyashree Scholarship

2. Click on the Student’s Login option.

3. Now click on the Forgot User ID / Password link on the login page.

4. Select the Scholarship Registration Year, Institution District, Registered Mobile No., Date of Birth, Bank Account Number / Application ID.

5. You will receive an SMS from WBMDFC, which will contain your Application ID and Password.

Aikyashree – How to Track Application Status?

1. Visit the official website of WBMDFC
2. Click on Track Application tab in the menu bar
3. Next, select your district, application ID and date of birth
4. Enter the captcha code that appears on the screen
5. Finally, click on the Submit tab

Aikyashree – FAQs

Q. Who can apply for Aikyashree Scholarship?

Only students belonging to minority communities such as Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Parsee can apply for this scholarship. The students studying from Class 1 to the PhD level can apply for this scholarship.

Q. What is the major condition for applying for Aikyashree scholarships?

Only those students who are permanent residents of West Bengal can apply for this scholarship.

Q. What are the names of WBMDFC Aikyashree Scholarship Schemes?

There are 5 scholarship schemes under Aikyashree:

1. Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities, West Bengal
2. West Bengal Post-Matric Scholarship for SC/ST/OBC
3. Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal
4. Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal
5. West Bengal Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC ST Students

Q. What is the percentage criteria for Aikyashree Scholarship?

Candidates must have passed with a minimum of 50% marks in their last annual exam; 75% marks in Secondary examination; 53% marks for honours in any postgraduate course; 55% marks in any professional course.

Q. What are the benefits received through Aikyashree Scholarship?

Aikyashree Scholarship amount depends on your course –

• From Class 1 to Class 10, the annual scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 1,100 to Rs. 11,000.
• For Class 11 and Class 12, the annual scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 10,200 to Rs. 16,500.
• From Class 11 to PhD or any Technical and Professional course, the annual scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 22,000 to Rs. 30,000.

Q. What is the helpline number to get the queries resolved for Aikyashree scholarship 2020-21?

Students can contact the authorities through WBMDFC Helpline for Aikyashree Scholarship. Following are the contact details –

• WhatsApp number – 8017071714
• Helpline number (landline) – 033-4047468
• Email address – wbmdfc@gmail.com
• Toll-free number – 1800-120-2130
• Technical Helpdesk – 6290875550

Q. What is the last date to apply for Aikyashree scholarship 2020-21?

The last date to apply for Aikyashree scholarship 2020-21 is 15^th November 2020.

Q. Can students from other states apply for this scholarship programme?

No. No students from other States are eligible for this scholarship, the only exception being the ‘Hindi Scholarship Scheme’, for which the students belonging to other states who are current residents of West Bengal can apply.