National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme to continue till 2025-26: Ministry of Education

The continuation of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), albeit with changes in the criteria of eligibility, has been approved by the Ministry of Education (MoE) till 2025-26. The changes include criteria such as increasing the income ceiling from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per annum. This is what the officials conveyed on Tuesday, February 22. 

The aim of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) is to award scholarships to those meritorious students who hail from economically-weaker sections. This is to ensure that students continue pursuing their education at the secondary stage and do not drop out after Class VIII, as stated in a report by PTI.

"One lakh fresh scholarships of Rs 12,000 per annum (Rs 1,000 per month) per student are awarded to selected students of class 9 every year and their continuation and renewal in classes 10 to 12 for study in state government, government-aided and local body schools under the scheme," the ministry said in a statement, as quoted in a report by PTI.

It is through an examination that is conducted by state and Union Territories (UTs) governments that students are selected for awarding scholarships. NMMSS is boarded on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). 

Via electronic transfer, the scholarships are disbursed directly into the students' bank account through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. Under this continuing scheme, 100 per cent of the funds are provided by the centre, the ministry's statement said. 

Since its launch in 2008-09, 22.06 lakh scholarships have been sanctioned till 2020-21 involving an expenditure of Rs 1,783.03 crore. With the financial outlay of Rs 1827 crore, it is proposed that scholarships will be disbursed to 14.76 lakh students, the statement added.