The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has eliminated the need for a domicile certificate when applying for scholarships meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Classes students. This move is part of the Department’s efforts to modernize and simplify the scholarship process for these students. By waiving the domicile certificate requirement, the Ministry aims to ease the burden on students and streamline the application process.
This change is expected to make it easier for eligible students studying outside their home states to access scholarship benefits. Annually, around 1.2 crore students benefit from the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs and OBCs. Previously, a domicile certificate was mandatory for these schemes. Removing this requirement is intended to make the application process more student-friendly by reducing paperwork, cutting costs, and enhancing access to scholarships.
In a bid to enhance digital governance, the Department has introduced SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment) on the UMANG platform. This platform serves as a one-stop solution for scholarship-related services, offering a unified interface for applicants, Nodal Officers, and officials at various levels. Through these digital initiatives, the government aims to promote inclusivity, simplify procedures, and ensure efficient delivery of welfare programs.
