The National Children‟s Fund (NCF), set up in 1979, raises funds from individuals, institutions, corporates and others for the welfare and development of programme for children. It has limited funds because of which it is not implementing a large-scale country-wide grant-in-aid programme.
The mandate of NCF is to develop children to their potential and in this direction NCF provides financial assistance to arrest the discontinuation of education of talented and meritorious children of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) due to economic hardship, by providing scholarship support for pursuing their academic goals, leading to an improved quality of life in future.
The Child Care Institutions (CCI) both in public domain and privately – run provide care and protection to orphans, abandoned, lost and found children, and those in distress. In order to provide an opportunity to talented and meritorious children from these Institutions to pursue their academic goals through education & training towards their overall development and thereby preparing them for gainful employment and thus leading to quality life, they may be assisted by a system of providing scholarship through a faster and efficient disposal of applications and timely payment of the same.
The country has about 2300 registered CCIs which cater to approximately more than 80,000 children. These children are enrolled at various levels in the Government and Non-Government schools. Unnati scholarships are provided for children studying in class 9-12, till attaining the age of 18 years or on completion of 12th Class, whichever is earlier. 100 scholarship will be provided each in class 9-12 (total 400 scholarships – merit-wise in a year per class).
Objectives
The objective of the scheme are as follows.
- Improve the academic performance of children living in CCIs run as per the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015;
- enable children to inculcate a sense of self-dependence and confidence in their innate ability and capacities to take on the challenges, the future would hold before them; and
- create an enabling atmosphere by providing equitable opportunities and further the pursuit of excellence in life.
Eligibility criteria
- The applicant seeking scholarship should be sheltered in CCIs
- The CCIs registered under Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 are only eligible to apply.
- The applicant should have secured minimum 55% marks in the final examination of the previous class. The Principal/In charge of the concerned Institutions where the child is pursuing the study would be certifying the enrollment of the student and minimum 75% attendance of the students on yearly basis to enable release of scholarship. If a student fulfils the above criteria but is not able to secure a place in the merit list of ‘100 students’, he will not be awarded scholarship.
- Students pursuing their study from 9th standard onwards are only eligible for the scholarship.
- The applicant should have an Aadhar linked savings bank account in a Nationalized Bank.
- Fifty percent of the total scholarship money will be earmarked for girl students.
- The child should not be receiving any assistance on regular basis from any other sources towards her/his education.
Process of application
- The scholarship scheme will be published on the official website of Ministry of Women and Child Development and NIPCCD in the month of April-June and the last date for receiving application from CCIs will be 15th July every year.
- Every year the Managing Committee of the CCI will identify the beneficiaries and their eligibility and send the applications to NCF.
- On receipt of the applications the NCF Secretariat will prepare a list of eligible beneficiaries whose names have been sent by various CCIs.
Scale of Assistance
- The scholarship to the beneficiaries already sanctioned in previous years and if NCF decides to continue the same.
| Category of Class/ Course | Amount (Rs.) |
|---|---|
| Class IX & X | Rs. 700/- p.m. per child (Child will receive Rs. 16,800 on completing X class) |
| Class XI and XII | Rs. 800/- p.m. per child (Child will receive Rs. 19,200 on completing XII class) |
Sanction and remittance
- Te scholarship amount will be for a period of 12 months fr om the date of beginning of the academic year.
- Total number of scholarships would be finalized by Board of Management based on the number of CCIs available in each state/UT and funds available for the purpose.
- The students availing scholarship will be given a Certificate of Appreciation every year.
- The monthly scholarship amount released to the students will be invested in a fixed deposit account opened in his/her sole name.
For the complete details and the application formats, click here
Source : National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development
