The Ministry of Education (MoE) on Tuesday, 20 September, 2022 held a national workshop with the state nodal officers of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS). The NMMSS scholarships are awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections to hold back their dropout rates in Class 8. The workshop was presided over by LS Changsan, Additional Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL). The workshop was organized to start soon the registration of fresh applications as well as renewals for the year 2022-23.
Speaking on the occasion, Changan stressed the importance of timely scholarship payments to children from economically weaker sections and the need for prompt verification of applications by state-level officers, as per an official statement. State Nodal Officers, Education officers of states and union-territories (UTs) were the attendees of the workshop.
Under the ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’ scholarships are awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections (EWS) to stop their drop out at Class 8 and motivate them to continue their education at the secondary stage. One lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students from Class 9 every year and their continuation/renewal in classes 10 to 12 for students studying in State government, government-aided and local body schools. The scholarship amount is INR 12,000 per annum.
Students from EWS whose overall parental income is not more than INR 3,50,000 per annum are eligible to avail the NMMSS scholarships. The eligible students must have a minimum of 55 per cent marks or equivalent grade in Class 7 examinations for appearing in the selection test (5 per cent relaxation for SC/ST students).
NMMSS scholarship money is transferred directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. NMMSS is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme.