Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – A Merit-cum-means based scheme

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Swami Vivekananda Scholarship, also known as Bikash Bhavan Scholarship is a merit-cum-means based scholarship scheme for the meritorious and economically backward students of West Bengal studying at the higher secondary level, undergraduate level, postgraduate level and above. Revamped in the year 2016, the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship now comes with a significantly increased number of seats and enhanced rewards. Administered by the Government of West Bengal, the sanctioned amount of scholarship from this year onwards has been increased from INR 45 Crore to INR 2000 Crore.

This article comprises detailed information about Swami Vivekananda Scholarship, its eligibility, its key dates, its application process, its awards and benefits, its selection procedure and its renewal. Furthermore, if you have any doubts or query related to the scholarship information or application, you can contact the provider at the given contact details.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – What it is?

Announced with a view to assisting the meritorious students of West Bengal state who belong to economically backward sections of the society, the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship benefits students of class 11^th, 12^th, undergraduate level, postgraduate level, doctoral level and Kanyashree (K-2) recipients. Functional under the Government of West Bengal, this scholarship is an initiative to encourage studies at UG/PG/M.Phil. /Doctoral level within the state.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Key dates to remember

Which are the important dates to apply for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship? When does the application process start? When does the application process close? Get the answer to all the questions related to the timeline of Swami Vivekananda Scholarship (Bikash Bhavan Scholarship) in the table given hereunder.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Key dates

S.No.	Event	Important Dates
1.	Online application starts (Fresh)	2nd week of September*
2.	Online application closes (Fresh)	4th week of November*
3.	Online application starts (For minority community students)	10 July 2019#
4.	Online application closes (For minority community students)	15 September 2019#

*The above-mentioned dates are tentative which may change on the discretion of the scholarship provider.

#The applications for students belonging to the minority community are currently open for which the students can apply through http://wbmdfcscholarship.gov.in.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Eligibility criteria

Which are the key conditions that you need to follow to be eligible for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship? The general eligibility criteria that imply to this scholarship include –

• You must be a resident of West Bengal.
• You must be pursuing studies at the post-madhyamik level and onwards at an educational institute in West Bengal after passing out from a state board, the council of secondary/higher secondary, Madrasah education or a state university.
• The family income of your family should not be more than INR 2.5 Lakh.

Besides these, there are some course-specific eligibility criteria too that you need to follow. Find out complete details about them in the table given below.

Swami Vivekanand Scholarship – Specific Eligibility

S.No.	Current course of study	Specific eligibility	Percentage of marks obtained in the last exam
1.	For Higher Secondary Level of studies (Class 11th or its equivalent)	Candidates must have passed Madhyamik Pariksha or equivalent examination	75% in aggregate
2.	For Diploma (Polytechnic) Level	Candidates must have passed out Madhyamik Pariksha or equivalent examination for first-year diploma courses. Candidates must have passed out higher secondary examination or equivalent for 2-years diploma in – Modern Office Practice and Management Pharmacy 3-D Animation & Graphics	75% in aggregate
3.	For Undergraduate courses	Candidates must have qualified higher secondary examination or equivalent.	75% in aggregate (Best of five)
4.	For Postgraduate courses	Honours subjects at graduation level (general education)	53%
		Honours in Engineering subjects at graduation level	55%
5.	For Kanyashree applicants (K-3 component)	Students must be in receipt of a valid sanctioned K-2 ID Students must be pursuing a PG course in Arts, Science and Commerce Students must have passed graduation	45% in aggregate
6.	For M.Phil./ Non-NET/NET-LS Research Fellow	The students enrolled for a PhD or M.Phil. programme at a state-aided institution can apply.	Not Applicable

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – How to apply?

The applications for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship are accepted online through its official website’s homepage. Depending on the category for which you are applying, the applications can be made on their respective hyperlink. Also, you should keep this fact in mind that no hard copies of the applications are acceptable under this scheme.

Here is a step-by-step guide to the online application for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship –

Step 1: Registering for the scholarship

To register as a new user, you need to visit the official website and click on the respective category for which you want to apply.

Step 2: Logging into your account

Once registered successfully, you can log in to your account through your registered user id and password.

Step 3: Filling the required details

Once you have logged into your account, you can access the scholarship application form. Fill in all the fields that are marked as mandatory. Make sure you enter the correct information, as any kind of discrepancy in the information can lead to rejection.

Step 4: Uploading the supporting documents

You need to update all the documents that are required in support of your online application. Make sure you upload the correct documents in specified format and size.

Step 5: Final submission of application form

Once you have updated the Institute verification form duly attested by the head of the institution, you can finally submit the online application form. Your form will only be considered complete if you have uploaded the duly attested institute verification form.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Important documents

While you apply for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship or Bikash Bhavan Scholarship, you necessarily need to support your application with some mandatory documents, without which your application may get rejected. The list of important documents that you must upload with your online application include –

• The front and back side of your mark sheet for the last examination passed
• Admit card of Madhyamik or equivalent examination
• Income certificate (in the format specified)
• Income affidavit (in the specified format)
• The first page of your bank passbook that clearly mentions your account number and IFSC details
• Aadhaar card/Ration card/Voter ID card
• Recent photograph with size not more than 10 -50 KB
• Institute verification form (in the prescribed format) duly authenticated by the HOI (Head of Institution) (Note: The students can obtain institute verification form online from the portal after the submission of online application. Get it authenticated by the HOI and finally upload to the portal).

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Selection Process

Since Swami Vivekananda Scholarship is a merit-cum-means based scholarship, it takes both your academic merit and financial need into consideration for the selection process. The selection of the scholars is made through following steps –

• The applications made online under different categories are initially arranged in descending order based on the marks you have obtained in the qualifying examination and income criteria.
• Once the merit list is prepared, the scholarship is disbursed to students in their respective accounts, subject to the availability of all documents.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Awards & Benefits

The amount of award that you will receive under Swami Vivekananda Scholarship scheme majorly depends upon the course or level of study you are currently pursuing. Generally, this scholarship amount may vary from INR 1,000 per month to INR 5,000 per month. How much amount of scholarship will you get? Find out detailed information about the awards and benefits rendered under this scheme in the table given below. It contains course-wise details of the scholarship amount that a student can receive.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Course-wise awards

S.No.	Category	Course/Level of Study	Scholarship amount
1.	Directorate of School Education (DSE)	Higher Secondary	INR 1,000 per month
2.	Directorate of Madrasah Education (DME)	High Madrasah	INR 1,000 per month
3.	Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) (For General degree courses)	Undergraduate in Arts	INR 1,000 per month
4.		Undergraduate in Commerce	INR 1,000 per month
5.		Undergraduate in Science	INR 1,500 per month
6.		Undergraduate in other professional courses (UGC approved)	INR 1,500 per month
7.		Postgraduate in Arts	INR 2,000 per month
8.		Postgraduate in Commerce	INR 2,000 per month
9.		Postgraduate in Science	INR 2,500 per month
10.		Postgraduate in other professional courses (UGC approved)	INR 2,500 per month
11.		Non-NET M.Phil./Non-NET PhD	INR 5,000 per month to INR 8,000 per month
12.	Technical education at college or universities	Undergraduate in Engineering, Postgraduate in Engineering and other professional courses (AICTE approved)	INR 5,000 per month
13.	Directorate of Technical Education and Training (DTE &T)	Undergraduate (Polytechnic)	INR 1,500 per month
14.	Directorate of Medical Education	Undergraduate in Medical stream/Diploma courses	INR 5,000 per month/INR 1,500 per month respectively

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Renewal

Every year, the winners of Swami Vivekananda scholarship (Bikash Bhavan Scholarship) have to apply for its renewal. Applicable only for some particular level of studies, the renewal cases are subject to your decent academic performance. The minimum score for renewal that you should obtain at the promotional level during your transition from higher secondary level to UG and Diploma level is 60% marks. However, to get a renewal at postgraduate level, you need to obtain minimum 50% marks at the promotional level. Furthermore, you should pass/clear all semester examinations in the first attempt to be eligible for renewal.

How can you apply for the scholarship renewal? Is the renewal process different from the general application procedure? No, the process of renewal is more or less similar to the general application procedure. Here is how can you apply for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship renewal –

Step 1: Visit the online application portal for Swami Vivekananda Scholarship.

Step 2: Click on the “Renewal Application” button.

Step 3: Log in using your registered Login ID and password.

Step 4: Fill in all required details and upload all supporting documents.

Step 5: Finally, submit the renewal application.

Important documents to be submitted for renewal

• Mark sheet of the first and second semester for 2nd-year renewal and mark sheet of the third and fourth semester for 3rd-year renewal at UG level.
• Mark sheet of the first and second semester for 2nd-year renewal at PG level.

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship – Contact details

Furthermore, if you have any query or doubts related to Swami Vivekananda Scholarship details, application procedure or any other information, feel free to contact at –

Higher Education, Science & Technology and Biotechnology Department

Bikash Bhavan, 6th Floor, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091

Swami Vivekananda Scholarship helpline number – 1800-102-8014 (Toll-Free Number)

Email id – helpdesk.svmcm-wb@gov.in

Read more about West Bengal Scholarships.