Post Matric Scholarships to the Students Belonging to Scheduled Tribe (ST )

Objective

The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to the Scheduled Tribe students studying at post matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable them to complete their education.

Coverage, Value of Scholarship and Ad-Hoc Grant

The value of scholarship includes maintenance allowance, provision for students with disabilities, reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees, Study Tour Charges, thesis typing/printing charges and book allowance for students pursuing correspondence courses, for complete duration of the course.The details are given below:

Maintenance Allowance

Central assistance to States/UTs for setting up of Book Banks is given @ prescribed rates. For the degree courses maximum limit is Rs. 7500/ – for a set of books for two students and for Post -Graduate course @ Rs. 5000/ – per student.

Additional Provision for ST students with disabilities

• Reader Allowance for blind Scholars

• Provision of transport allowance upto Rs.160/- per month for disabled students, if such student does not reside in the hostel, which is within the premises of educational institution. The disability as per the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act,1995 is defined as blindness, low-vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness.
• Escort Allowance of Rs.160/- per month for severally handicapped day scholar students with low extremity disability.
• Special pay of Rs.160/- per month is admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend help to a severely orthopedically handicapped student residing in hostel of an educational institution, who may need the assistance of a helper.
• Allowance of Rs. 240/- per month towards extra coaching to mentally retarded and mentally ill students.

The provisions in (B) to (D) will also apply to leprosy -cured students.

• Note 1: The disabled students belonging to Scheduled Tribes covered under the Scheme can also get such additional benefits from other Schemes, which are not covered under the scheme.
• Note 2: The disability as defined under the said Act has to be certified by competent medical authority of the State Govt./UT Administration.

Fees

Scholars will be paid enrolment/registration, tuition, games, Union, Library, Magazine, Medical Examination and such other fees compulsorily payable by the scholar to the institution or University/Board. Refundable deposit like caution money, security deposit will, however, be excluded.

• Note: Compulsory non-refundable fee charged by recognized institutions against free and paid seats of recognized courses can be fully reimbursed as per the fee structure approved by the competent State/Central Government authority. However, while sanctioning scholarship against paid seat, State Governments would make the income verification compulsory.

Study Tours

Study tour charges upto a maximum of Rs.1600/- per annum, limited to the actual expenditure incurred by the student on transportation charges etc. will be paid to the scholars studying professional and technical courses, provided that the head of the institution certifies that the study tour is essential for the scholar for completion of his/her course of study.

Thesis Typing/Printing Charges

Thesis typing/printing charges upto a maximum of Rs.1600/- will be paid to research scholars on the recommendation of the Head of the Institution.

Correspondence courses including distance and continuing education

The students pursuing such courses are also eligible for an annual allowance of Rs.1200/- for essential/prescribed books, besides reimbursement of course fees.

Duration and Renewal of Awards

• The award once made will be tenable from the stage at which it is given to the completion of course subject to good conduct and regularity in attendance. It will be renewed from year to year provided that within a course which is continuous for a number of years, the scholar secures promotion to the next higher class irrespective of the fact whether such examinations are conducted by a University or the Institution.
• If a Scheduled Tribe scholar pursuing Group I course fails in the examination for the first time, the award may be renewed. For second and subsequent failure in any class, the student shall bear his/her own expenses until he/she secures promotion to the next higher class.
• If a scholar is unable to appear in the annual examination owing to illness and/or on account of any other unforeseeable event, the award may be renewed for the next academic year on submission of medical certificate and/or other required sufficient proof to the satisfaction of the Head of the Institution and his/her certifying that the scholar would have passed had he/she appeared in the examination.
• If according to the Regulations of a University/Institution, a student is promoted to the next higher class even though he/she may not have actually passed in lower class and is required to take examination of the junior class again after sometime, he/she will be entitled to scholarship for the class to which he/she is promoted if the student is otherwise eligible for scholarship.

Mode of Selection

• All the eligible Scheduled Tribes candidates will be given scholarships.
• Candidates belonging to one state but studying in other state will be awarded scholarships by the state to which they belong and will submit their applications to the competent authorities in that state. In the matter of exemption from fees or other concessions also they will be treated as if they were studying in their own state.
• Scholarships will be paid to the students whose parents/guardians’ income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 2,50,000/- per annum.

Note 1: So long as either of the parents (or husband in the case of married unemployed girl student) is alive, only income of the parents/husband, as the case may be, from all sources has to be taken into account 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 (or husband in the case of married but unemployed girl student) have died, the income of the guardian who is supporting the student in his/her studies has to be taken. Such students whose parents’ 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: House rent allowance received by the parents of a student shall be exempted from the computation of ‘income’ if the same has been permitted to be exempted for purpose of Income-tax.

Note 3: 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 4: The revised income ceilings account for Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers upto October, 2009. 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.

Eligibility

• The scholarships are open to nationals of India.
• These scholarships will be given for the study of all recognised post – matriculation for post-secondary courses pursued in recognised institutions with the following exceptions: “Scholarships are not awarded for training courses like Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Courses and Private Pilot Licence courses, courses at Training-Ship Dufferin (Now Rajendra),courses of training at the Military College, Dehradun and courses at pre-examination training centres of all India and State levels.”
• Only those candidates who belong to Scheduled Tribes so specified in relation to the State/Union Territory to which the applicant actually belongs (i.e. permanently settled) and who have passed the Matriculation or Higher Secondary or any higher examination of a recognized University or Board of Secondary Education, will be eligible.
• Candidates who after passing one stage of education are studying in the same stage of education in a different subject e.g. I.Sc after I.A. or B.Com after B.A. or M.A. in other subject will not be eligible.
• Students who, after having completed their educational career in one professional line, wish to study for another profession e.g. LLB after B.T./B.Ed. will not be eligible. From the academic year 1980-81, however, studies in two professional courses are allowed.
• Students studying in Class XI of Higher Secondary Schools which have a continuous school course of 12th class will not be eligible. However, in cases where the X class examination of such courses is treated as equivalent to Matriculation and students after passing tenth class can join other courses, such students will be treated as post-matric students and will be eligible for the award of scholarships.
• Students pursuing post-graduate courses in medicine will be eligible if they are not allowed to practice during the period of their course.
• Students who after failing or passing the under graduate/post-graduate examinations in Arts/Science/Commerce join any recognised 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’, and no further change in the course will be allowed.
• Students who pursue their studies through correspondence courses are also eligible. The term correspondence includes distant and continuing education.
• Employed students who take leave without pay for the entire duration of the course and study as fulltime students will be eligible for scholarships. From the academic year 1980-81, 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.
• All children of the same parents/guardians will be entitled to receive benefits of the scheme.
• A scholarship holder under this scheme will not hold any other scholarship/stipend.
• Students who have already received coaching in any of the pre-examination training centres with financial assistance from the Government will not be eligible.

Note 1: Since it is clearly mentioned under the above (condition of eligibility) of these regulations that the scholarship will be given for the study of all recognised post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognised institutions, the list of courses grouped (I to IV) is, thus, only illustrative and not exhaustive. The State Governments/Union Territory Administrations are, thus, themselves competent to decide the appropriate grouping of courses at their level as advised vide Ministry of SJ & E’s letter No.11017/13/88-Sch.Cell, dated 3.8.1989.

Other conditions

• The scholarship is dependent on the satisfactory progress and conduct of the scholars. If it is reported by the Head of the Institution at any time that a scholar has by reasons of his/her own act of default failed to make satisfactory progress or has been guilty of misconduct such as resorting to or participating in strikes, irregularity in attendance without the permission of the authorities concerned etc., the authority sanctioning the scholarship may either cancel the scholarship or stop or withhold further payment for such period as it may think fit.
• If a student is found to have obtained a scholarship by false statements, his/her scholarship will be cancelled forthwith and the amount of the scholarship paid will be recovered, at the discretion of the concerned State Government. The student concerned will be blacklisted and debarred for scholarship in any scheme forever.
• A scholarship awarded may be cancelled if the scholar changes the subject of the course of study for which the scholarship was originally awarded or changes the Institution of study, without prior approval of the State Government. The Head of the Institution shall report such cases to them and stop payment of the scholarship money. The amount already paid may also be recovered at the discretion of the State Government.
• A scholar is liable to refund the scholarship amount at the discretion of the State Government, if during the course of the year, the studies for which the scholarship has been awarded, is discontinued by him/her.
• The regulations can be changed at any time at the discretion of the Government of India.

Payment

• Maintenance allowance is payable from 1st April or from the month of admission, whichever is later, to the month in which the examinations are completed, at the end of the academic year (including maintenance allowance during holidays), provided that if the scholar secures admission after the 20th day of a month, the amount will be paid from the month following the month of admission.
• In case of renewal of scholarship awarded in the previous years, maintenance allowance will be paid from the month following the month upto which scholarship was paid in the previous year, if the course of study is continuous.
• The Government of the State/Union Territory Administration, to which the student belongs, in accordance with the procedure laid down by them in this regard, will pay the scholarship money to the selected students.
• Scholarship will not be paid for the period of internship/houseman ship in the M.B.B.S. course or for a practical training in other course if the student is in receipt of some remuneration during the internship period or some allowance/stipend during the practical training in other course.

Announcement of the Scheme

All the State Governments will announce in May-June, the details of the scheme and invite applications by issuing an advertisement in the leading newspapers of the State and through other media outfits. All requests for application forms and other particulars should be addressed to the Government of State/Union Territory Administration to which the scholars actually belong. The applicant should submit the completed application to the prescribed authority before the last date prescribed for receipt of applications.

Application Procedure

• An application for scholarship should comprise:
  • One copy of the application for scholarship in the prescribed form (separate application forms as have been prescribed for ‘fresh’ and renewal scholarship by concerned States/UTs).
  • One copy of the passport size photograph with signatures of the student thereon (for fresh scholarship).
  • One attested copy of certificates, diploma, degree etc. in respect of all examinations passed.
  • A certificate (in original) of Caste duly signed by an authorised Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tahsildar.
  • An income declaration by the self-employed parents/guardians, stating definite income from all sources by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper. Employed parents/guardians are required to obtain income certificate from their employer and for any additional income from other sources, they would furnish declaration by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper.
  • A receipt in acknowledgement of the scholarship in the previous year on the form attached to the application only duly counter-signed by the Head of the Institution concerned, if the applicant was in receipt of a scholarship under this scheme in the preceding year.
• Application complete in all respects shall be submitted to the Head of the Institution, being attended or last attended by the candidates and shall be addressed to an officer specified for this purpose by the Government of State/Union Territory to which the student belongs, in accordance with the instructions issued by them from time to time.