Scholarships for minorities were introduced in India in order to encourage students from communities that have been marginalized for years to pursue a sound and stable education. Minority scholarships have enabled meritorious students from backward communities to have larger access to higher education and thereby establish a desirable career.
Scholarships for minorities are categorized in all levels of education – pre matric, post matric, technical and vocational education and so on. These scholarships aim to review the overall planning of policies, regulation and evaluation of educational development in our country.
This article aims to focus on major scholarship schemes for minorities, eligibility criteria, application process and benefits. One of the primary portals for scholarships for minorities is the NSP (National Scholarships Portal), which includes minority scholarships for a wide spectrum of categories.
NSP – National Scholarships Portal
NSP is a project under the National e-Governance Plan (Mission Mode Project). National Scholarships Portal is a platform that enables students to access the application processes for various minority scholarships that include student application, receipt, processing, sanction and disbursal.
List of Scholarships under NSP
Most of the applications under central schemes are closed for the current academic year. Here is a list of applications under the state scheme.
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Application Period- January to February
Application Period- January to February
Minority Scholarship Maharashtra
Minority Scholarship, Maharashtra is a scholarship for minorities introduced by the Department of Minorities Development, Government of Maharashtra to enable students from minority communities to pursue technical or vocational courses. The shortlisted students are entitled to receive an amount of INR 25,000 or the entire course fee, whichever is less.
Minority Scholarship Maharashtra 2022-23: Key highlights
The significant information about this minority scholarship is given below:
| Name of the Scholarship | Minority Scholarship Maharashtra |
| Official Website | https://www.mahadbtmahait.org.in/mahadbt/ |
| Provider | Department of Minorities Development, Government of Maharashtra |
| Helpline Number | 022-49150800 |
| Application deadline | March 31, 2023 |
Eligibility Criteria
In order to apply for this scholarship, a student must have the following eligibility criteria:
- Be a domicile of Maharashtra
- Annual family income must be less than equal to INR 8 lakh
- Belong to Muslim, Buddha, Christian, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, Jews religion
- Must be pursuing MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, BUMS, BPTH, BOTH, BASLP, BP&O, BSc Nursing, MSc Nursing, BPMT, Ophthalmic Assistant, Optometry, PB BSc Nursing
- Have taken admission to the course through CET/competitive exam/HSC marks obtained
Minority Scholarship Maharashtra: Documents Required
This scholarship for minorities requires the students to have the following documents before applying for the scholarship scheme:
- A self-attested passport sized photo
- Previous year’s marksheet
- Residence (domicile) certificate
- Religion certificate
- Annual income certificate
- Marksheets of 10th, 12th, diploma and degree. (As per the course requirement)
- Bank details of the student or the parents
- Self-employee/Parents/Guardian – Self Declaration
Minority Scholarship West Bengal – Aikyashree Scholarship
Aikyashree is a scholarship for minorities floated by the government of West Bengal in order to provide financial assistance to students belonging to minority communities. These communities include the Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Parsees, Muslims and Sikhs of West Bengal. It includes Pre-Matric Scholarship, Means Cum Merit (MCM) Scholarship and other scholarships (SVMCM- Swami Vivekananda Merit Cum Means Scholarship for Minorities and TSP- Talent Support Programme).
Aikyashree Scholarship 2022-23: Key Highlights
| Name of Scholarship | Aikyashree |
| Provider | West Bengal Minorities Development & Finance Corporation |
| Official Website | http://wbmdfcscholarship.org/main/post_matric |
| Helpline Number | 1800-120-2130 180 |
| WhatsApp contact | 8017071714 |
| Last Date for application | Closed |
| Last Date of Post Matric Scholarship | February 28, 2023 |
Aikyashree Scholarship for minority – Eligibility Criteria
The eligibility criteria for students applying for this scholarship programme are as follows:
- The applicant must be a domicile of West Bengal.
- He/she must be studying in an institution recognised by an educational board/council/university of the state or central government.
- The applicant must have secured a minimum of 50% of marks in the last qualified examination.
- The annual family income must not exceed INR 2 Lakh from all sources.
- The students should be belonging to the Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Parsees, Muslims or Sikh communities of West Bengal.
Aikyashree – Documents Required
In order to avail the Aikyashree scholarship, the students must have the following documents:
- Marksheet of the last academic examination
- Family income certificate
- First page of the bank passbook
- Institute verification form duly authenticated by the Head of the Institution (HOI) in the prescribed format
NOTE: To know more about scholarship for minorities, read:
- Minority Scholarship, Maharashtra 2022-23
- Post-Matric Scholarship to SC/ST Students, West Bengal 2022-23
- Post-Matric Scholarship to OBC Students, West Bengal 2022-23
- National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for SC 2023-24
- Open Merit Scholarships for EBC Students, Maharashtra 2022-23
FAQs
What is Minority e-Scholarship?
Minority e-Scholarship is one of the scholarships for minorities floated by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India, which includes pre-matric, post-matric and Merit cum Means scholarships.
What are the two types of minority scholarships?
The minority categorisation is done on parameters of ethnicity/caste, race, religion, sexual orientation and disability. One minority scholarship is for the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the other type is meant for minorities on ethnic and religious grounds.
What is an NSP Scholarship?
NSP is a project under the National e-Governance Plan (Mission Mode Project). National Scholarships Portal is a platform that enables students to access the application processes for various minority scholarships that include student application, receipt, processing, sanction and disbursal.
Who is eligible for an NSP Scholarship?
Students till Class 10 can avail the pre-matric scholarship, the ones in Class 11 and 12 can apply for the post-matric scholarship. Additionally, there are various other scholarships under NSP that students can apply for.
What is a MOMA Scholarship?
MOMA (Ministry of Minority Affair) is another umbrella scholarship for minorities that covers pre-matric, post-matric, and means cum merit scholarships that offer INR 20,000 per annum to the selected students.