Following AICTE's decision to create two seats in polytechnic institutes affiliated with it for students who had lost their parents to COVID-19 from the academic year 2022-23, UGC has asked Vice-Chancellors of universities to take a similar step. In a letter addressed to the VCs, UGC has announced that supernumerary seats must be created in institutions in order to admit those students who lost their parents during the pandemic.

These students are being identified by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under the PM CARES for Children Schene with the help of District Magistrates of states and union territories, said UGC.  

"These children will be issued PM CARES for Children Scheme, 2021 Certificate by the Ministry. In view of this, all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are advised to create supernumerary seats to accommodate such children to pursue their higher education, whenever they become eligible," the letter added.

According to data shared by the government in the Parliament on March 16, of the 8,973 applications received for support under the PM CARES for Children Scheme, as many as 4,302 children who were orphaned during the pandemic have been approved as eligible for benefits.