Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles 2024-25

Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles 2024-25 is an opportunity by the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board, Ministry of Home Affairs to provide financial assistance to the wards (dependent children) of serving and retired Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) personnel. Under this scheme, a total of 2,000 new scholarships are distributed equally among male and female applicants (1,000 each). All selected candidates will receive financial assistance up to 3,000 per month.

Source: National Scholarship Portal

The Welfare and Rehabilitation Board, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India is providing this opportunity.

To be eligible, an applicant must:-

• be a ward (dependent child) of CAPFs & AR personnel (serving, retired, or deceased) who died in harness/election duty/due to service-related causes, or who are disabled due to service-related causes, or who are ex-personnel with gallantry awards; OR be a ward/widow of retired or serving CAPFs & AR personnel (below officer rank)
• be pursuing a first professional degree (e.g., Engineering, Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, BBA, BCA, B.Pharma, B.Sc. Nursing/Agriculture, MBA, MCA) in an institution recognised by a government regulatory body (e.g., AICTE, MCI, UGC).
• have secured a minimum of 60% marks in Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ) i.e. Class 12/diploma/graduation or equivalent (For new applicants)
• have passed each subsequent academic year of the professional courses with a minimum of 50% marks (For renewal)

Note:-

• Candidates who missed the renewal deadline may be granted a grace period.
• New applicants who are wards or widows of CAPFs, ex-CAPFs, and AR personnel who died or became disabled while on duty due to government service will receive the highest priority.
• For applicants from the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) who passed Class 12, the best five subjects out of a total of 500 marks will be considered for calculating the Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ).
• Only first professional degree courses (e.g., BE, B.Tech, BDS, MBBS, B.Ed., BBA, BCA, B.Pharma, B.Sc. [including Nursing and Agriculture]) duly recognised by the respective government regulatory bodies (e.g., All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India (MCI), University Grants Commission (UGC)) are considered.
• The PMSS is limited to students enrolled in first professional degree programs only. This includes B.Ed. degrees but excludes integrated BA+B.Ed. programs. For integrated programs like ME, M.Tech, and M.Pharma, the scholarship will be awarded for the initial three or four years, depending on the program's duration.
• Applicants who are not wards or widows of uniformed/combat personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Assam Rifles (AR), or State/Union Territory (UT) Police forces.
• Wards of civilian employees working in CAPFs, AR, or State/UT Police forces.
• Applicants pursuing professional courses through correspondence or distance learning.
• Applicants who are already receiving benefits from another scholarship scheme, stipend, or financial assistance program.
• Applicants who have previously received a scholarship under PMSS.
• Applicants enrolled in programs that do not lead to a degree, such as diploma courses. Additionally, applicants pursuing master's degrees (except MBA and MCA) are ineligible unless they have completed a first professional degree program.
• Applicants admitted to colleges/institutes/universities that are not approved under the UGC Act, not recognized by AICTE, or do not have NBA-accredited courses (for engineering degrees) or are not approved by the Medical Council of India (for medical degrees).
• Applicants studying abroad.
• Students who change course or college after being selected for the scholarship and take fresh admission in a subsequent academic year will permanently forfeit their scholarship.

The scholarship provides financial assistance of ₹3,000 per month for females and ₹2,500 per month for males.

The scholarship is payable for the entire duration of the approved course, or a maximum of 5 years, whichever is earlier.

An active bank account linked to Aadhaar is mandatory for receiving the scholarship. Minors should ensure their accounts are converted to major accounts before receiving the scholarship.

Eligible applicants can apply for the scholarship through the following steps:-
Step 1: Click on the 'Apply Now' button below. 
Step 2: Click on the 'Register' button and fill in the required registration details. (Note:- If already registered, log in using Gmail/Mobile number/Email ID).
Step 3: Navigate to the 'Students' option on the left-hand side of the dashboard and click on it.
Step 4: Now, click on the 'Login' button under the OTR option as it is required to apply for a scholarship on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Step 5: Click on the 'New user? Register yourself' on the left-hand side of the dashboard and click on it.
Step 6: Read the details carefully, tick the checkbox, and click on the 'Next' button.
Step 7: Enter a functional mobile number, captcha code, and OTP, then submit to complete the registration process.
Step 8: Fill in the required details and click on 'Save & Register' to complete the 'One-time registration (OTR)' process. (Note:- This is a temporary registration number, students need to download the OTR mobile application for face authentication to complete the OTR process.)
Step 9: After successful registration, navigate to the 'Apply for Scholarship' option and click on the 'Login' button.
Step 10: Select the scholarship, fill in the required details, upload the necessary documents and submit.

Note:- All the applicants are advised to fill in the information correctly on the application form. Once the application is submitted, no changes can be made. Additionally, submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification.

• Service certificate to be issued by the H.O.O in case of serving personnel as per Annexure- A
• Bonafide certificate from the college or university
• Bank account details
• Duly attested scanned copy of the marksheet MEQ (class 12/diploma/graduation or equivalent) is mandatory along with:
  • PPO/Discharge certificate/book (if applicable)
  • Disability certificate (if applicable)
  • Death certificate (if applicable)
  • Certificate of Gallantry award (if applicable)

The selection of candidates will be based on the percentage of marks obtained in the Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ).

Note:- MEQs vary for different professional courses. Candidates must check the specific MEQ requirements for their selected course.

Application Deadline: 15th December 2024

Aadhaar Instructions for Applicants:

For Applicants 18 and Over:-

• Aadhaar is mandatory for applicants who have reached 18 years of age by the registration date.
• Applicants without an Aadhaar must enroll for one and register using the Enrolment Identification (EID). Their registration will be provisional until they submit their Aadhaar and complete Aadhaar-based eKYC (electronic Know Your Customer). This eKYC is required before scholarship disbursement.

For Applicants Under 18:-

• Applicants who are under 18 on the registration date and don't have an Aadhaar can register using the Enrolment Identification (EID).
• However, if neither the minor applicant nor their parent/legal guardian has an Aadhaar/EID, then the parent/legal guardian's Aadhaar is mandatory. In such cases, the parent/legal guardian will be considered the scholarship beneficiary.
• Students who register without Aadhaar must complete their Aadhaar-based eKYC upon turning 18 to continue their scholarship and registration.

Other Terms and Conditions:-

• The students need to pass the professional course with at least 50% marks to ensure the renewal of the scholarship for subsequent years.
• The scholarship is tenable for up to 5 years depending upon the duration of the course pursued by the applicant. 
• Incomplete applications will be rejected.
• If applicants are detected to be ineligible for the scholarship at any stage, their scholarship will be instantly cancelled without prior notice.
• Fraudulent/suppressed information will be punished and any amount secured through such means will have to be refunded with interest.
• The students admitted in the second year of professional/technical bachelor's degree courses through lateral entry can also apply for the scholarship.
• The selected scholars will receive the scholarship amount directly into their bank accounts through the PFMS (Public Finance Management System) under the DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) programme. 
• The following applicants are not eligible for this scholarship:
  • Applicants pursuing professional courses through correspondence/distance learning.
  • Applicants availing the benefit of other scholarship schemes/getting stipend and financial assistance.
  • Applicants who have already availed scholarships under PMSS.
  • Applicants pursuing courses such as diplomas which do not lead to the award of a degree or pursue a master's degree programme except MBA, MCA subject to first professional course.
  • Applicants studying Abroad.
• Change of course/college by the selected student and getting fresh admission in the subsequent academic year will lead to rejection of the scholarship.

Note:- For more information, kindly refer to the 'Scholarship Guidelines' document.