Blogs

Central Sector Scholarship:
The Central Sector Scholarship, established by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, is designed to support college and university students who excelled in their higher secondary examinations. Applications are now open for eligible students to apply. Students who have previously been awarded this scholarship also have the opportunity to renew their scholarship for continued support.

Eligibility:
Students who scored above the 80th percentile in the Class XII examination conducted by the Higher Secondary/VHSC Boards in 2024 are eligible, provided they have enrolled in a regular degree program.

Income and Age Criteria:
- The family's annual income must not exceed Rs 4.5 lakh.
  
Exclusions:
- Students enrolled in correspondence, distance education, or diploma courses, as well as those already receiving another scholarship, are not eligible.

Reservation:
- 50% of the scholarships are reserved for female students.
- 15% of the scholarships are reserved for SC candidates, 7.5% for ST candidates, and 27% for OBC candidates.
- Additionally, 5% of the scholarships across all categories are reserved for differently-abled students.

Scholarship Duration:
The Central Sector Scholarship is awarded for a maximum of five years, starting from the undergraduate level and extending to professional courses. Each year, 82,000 students across the country receive this scholarship.

Scholarship Amount:
- At the undergraduate level, the scholarship amount is Rs 12,000 per year.
- At the postgraduate level, the amount increases to Rs 20,000 per year.

Renewal Criteria:
- The scholarship must be renewed annually.
- To qualify for renewal, students must secure at least 50% marks and maintain 75% attendance in their annual examinations.
- Students must have an Aadhaar-linked savings account in their name, held with a nationalized or scheduled bank.

Application Process:
- Applications for new scholarships and renewals must be submitted online via scholarships.gov.in by October 31.
- After submitting the online application, a printout along with the required documents should be submitted to the head of the institution.For more details, please visit the official website.

An Article By Anver Muttancheri
CIGI Career Team