E-Paper
Less than 50% students against U.P.’s quota bag NMMSS scholarships
In government, government-aided and local bodies-run schools, meritorious students of class 8 from economically weaker sections are given a scholarship of ₹1,000 per month from class 9 to class 12 under the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)
Even 50% students against the total allotted share of Uttar Pradesh could not be selected this time for the prestigious “National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)” given by the Union Education Ministry annually.
In government, government-aided and local bodies-run schools, meritorious students of class 8 from economically weaker sections are given a scholarship of ₹1,000 per month or ₹12,000 per year from class 9 to class 12 under the initiative. The aim is to arrest their drop out at class 8 level and encourage them to continue their study at secondary stage, say state secondary education department officials.
Usha Chandra, director, Bureau of Psychology, UP—the coordinating body of the NMMSS in the state—said the results NMMSS examination 2022-23 was declared on July 22. “The result is available on the website www.entdata.co.in for the benefit of the aspirants,” she added while refraining to comment on the low count of selections of students for the scholarship this time.
State secondary education department officials said the ministry of education gives this scholarship to 1 lakh meritorious students across the country every year, in which the quota of U.P. is 15,143.
Out of 38,837 students who registered for it from across the state, 27,352 candidates appeared in the examination held on April 24. Of them, just 8,152 students passed the exam the result of which was declared on Friday by the office of the Examination Regulatory Authority, U.P. based in Prayagraj, officials said.
However, in some districts more students have qualified than the allotted quota and as a result those at the bottom of the respective merit list will get left out. As a result, against the district-wise allotted quota of seats, only 6,456 meritorious candidates of U.P. have got selected. It is clear that against the total 15,143 quota of seats allotted for U.P., only 43% meritorious students will be able to get the scholarship, officials say.
Meanwhile, concerned over the selection of less count of students relative to the allotted quota, the Union ministry of education has now increased the family income limit of the candidates who can vie for the scholarship from this year. Till now, children with family income limit of ₹1.5 lakh per annum could apply but now the income limit has been increased to ₹3.50 lakh annually, officials say.
In a proactive approach, the U.P. basic education department too has launched a campaign from this year to ensure that full benefit of 15,143 quota of seats for the scholarships fixed for U.P. reaches the students. Usha Chandra, director, Bureau of Psychology, U.P. has written a letter to all the Basic Siksha Adhikaris (BSAs) and directed them to ensure filling of the application forms from all eligible children by giving wide publicity to NMMSS. The missive, a copy of which is with HT, has asked the BSAs to get the income and caste certificates prepared in advance so that no student is deprived of applying for the scholarship for the next session.
