The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment implements two National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) schemes. One is implemented by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment for students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans and the other one is implemented by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DoEPwD) for students with disabilities.

The criteria followed for selection of the candidates under the schemes is as under:

(i) NOS for SC etc.:

Selections are made for study in top 500 QS ranked foreign Institutes/Universities on the basis of unconditional offer of admission. At least 60% marks or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination are required. Further, the total family income including the candidate from all sources shall not exceed Rs. 8.00 lakh per annum in the preceding financial year and the age of the candidate shall not be more than 35 (Thirty Five) years, as on first day of April of the selection year.

(ii) NOS for students with Disabilities:

For Ph.D., First class or 55% (fifty five per cent) marks or equivalent grade in relevant Master’s Degree are required. Similarly, for Masters’ Degree 55% (fifty five per cent) marks or equivalent grade in relevant Bachelor’s Degree are required. The age of the candidate shall be below 35 (Thirty -Five) years as on lst January of the year of application and the Parents/Guardian’s income should not be more than Rs.8.00 lakh per annum.

The process of selection for both the schemes is as under:

1. NOS for SC etc.:

The NOS portal (https://nosmsje.gov.in) is opened every year for calling of applications for the first round from mid of February to end of the March (for a period of 45 days). The candidates can apply on NOS portal for availing the scholarship under the scheme. Only complete and valid online applications are considered for award of the scholarship. After the scrutiny, the applications of all the eligible candidates’ are placed before the Selection-cum-Screening Committee for making their recommendations for selection as well as deciding the ranking of 125 candidates for scholarship. The ranking of the candidates are decided on the basis of QS ranking of the Institute/University he/she has sought admission to. Then, the provisional Award of Scholarship letters are issued to the selected candidates.

(ii) NOS for students with Disabilities:

Presently, the applications under the scheme are received offline throughout the year. The applications are examined by the Screening Committee constituted for the purpose. Applications shortlisted by the Screening Committee are placed before the Selection Committee. The candidates recommended by the Selection Committee are issued Award letters.

 Under both the schemes, disbursement of scholarship amount/ of miscellaneous expenses(on reimbursement basis) etc. incurred by the candidate, is done by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) through Indian Missions abroad and for this funds are sanctioned to MEA through Letter of Authorization(LoA) by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. Funds are released to MEA from time to time on demand by the Indian embassy concerned in respect of any NOS student.

The National Overseas Scholarship schemes of both the departments are central sector schemes and, therefore, there is no State-wise and district-wise distribution. However number of candidates benefitted under the schemes for last three years is as below:

Year	DoSJE	DoEPwD
	Number of Beneficiaries	Number of Beneficiaries
2020-21	100	6
2021-22	125	11
2022-23	125	17

 

This information was given by Minister of State for Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

 The last date for submission of application for ‘NMCMSS for the year 2022-23 extended till 15th October, 2022’ Under the ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’ scholarships are awarded to meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue their education at secondary stage. One lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students from class IX every year and their continuation / renewal in classes X to XII for students studying in State Government, Government-aided and local body schools. The amount of scholarship is Rs. 12000/- per annum.

The National Means cum Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) is boarded on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) – a one stop platform for scholarship schemes given to students. NMMSS scholarships are disbursed directly into the bank accounts of selected students by electronic transfer through Public Financial Management System (PFMS) following DBT mode. This is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme.

Students whose parental income from all sources is not more than Rs. 3,50,000/- per annum are eligible to avail the scholarships. The students must have minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in Class VII examination for appearing in the selection test for award of scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).

The last date of INO level (L1) verification is 31st October, 2022 and of DNO level (L2) verification is 15th November, 2022

*****

 The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements three Scholarship Schemes viz. Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Schemes for the educational empowerment of students belonging to economically weaker sections of the six notified minority communities i.e. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh in all States/UTs across the country. A total of thirty (30) lakh Pre-Matric, 5 lakh Post Matric and 60,000 Merit-cum-Means scholarships are targeted to be distributed as ‘Fresh’ Scholarships every year, besides, Renewal scholarships. The  three  scholarship  schemes are  being  implemented  through  the  National  Scholarship  Portal  (NSP)  and are  being  disbursed  under  direct  benefit  transfer (DBT)  mode  to  improve  the  efficiency  and  bring  transparency  by  removing duplicity  and  stopping  pilferages.  

 

The details of number of applications received, verified by States/UTs and sanctioned by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under the above mentioned schemes during 2016-17 to 2021-22 are as under:

 

   *   Disbursement of Scholarships for 2020-21 continues in 2021-22.

** It includes sanction for finally verified renewal applications of 2021-22 only. Disbursement for fresh application 2021-22 is yet to begin.

(d):  The details of budget allocated and released under the above mentioned schemes from 2016-17 to 2021-22 are as under:-

(In ₹ Crore)

*Expenditure as on 31.01.2022.