DoE directs Delhi schools to encourage students to apply for minority community scholarships

The directorate of education (DoE) of Delhi government has sent reminders to the heads of all private, government-aided and government schools including being run by municipal agencies and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) directing to guide students to apply for Central government sponsored scholarship schemes for minority community children on National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Senior government officials, privy to the matter, said that fresh directions had been issued as the number of applications under pre-metric and post-metric scholarship schemes received, until now, is significantly low.

The school heads have also been asked to expedite the verifications process of applications. "Verification of the application received is almost nil at the end of the institutions. Therefore, all heads of schools of government, government-aided and private schools including institutions under DoE, New Delhi Municipal Council, Municipal Corporations of Delhi, and KVS have been directed to guide the students so that eligible can apply for the scholarship schemes in time. They have also been requested to expedite the verification process at the level of the institutions," said a government official. Under the schemes - meritorious students at pre or postmatric level, who have secured not less than 50 per cent belonging to minority communities - are provided financial assistance-admission or tuition fee and maintenance allowance.

The objective is to persuade parents to send their children to school. The last date for submission of applications on NSP is November 30 and the deadline for first level of verification at school level is December 15."One of the reasons for less application is Covid 19 pandemic. Second thing is that the state government also runs similar schemes for students from minority committees and the process for applying for the same is easier.

However, the teachers will ensure that students are adequately encouraged and counselled to apply for the scholarship schemes on NSP," said a government school teacher.Following the tepid response to the schemes, the education department issued a similar direction to all schools last month."The scheme by the state government is better as a threshold for family income - one of the eligibility conditions - is higher than that fixed by the Central government. In the absence of physical classes, teachers are able to sensitise students suitably," said an official.