Record-breaking 1.85L students in U.P. vie for NMMS scholarships
In an effort to fill all 15,143 scholarships allocated to Uttar Pradesh by the Union education ministry, the basic education department set a target of 2,27,145 applications from the state’s 75 districts this year.
PRAYAGRAJ A staggering 1,85,762 applications have poured in from all corners of Uttar Pradesh this year for the 2024-25 National Means-Cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) Scheme Examination. This scholarship, slated for November 5th, is specifically designed for 8th-grade students in government, government-aided, and Basic Education Council schools, and is awarded by the Union education ministry.
In an effort to fill all 15,143 scholarships allocated to Uttar Pradesh by the Union education ministry, the basic education department set a target of 2,27,145 applications from the state’s 75 districts this year.
While the actual number of applicants fell short of the ambitious target, it still marked a record for NMMS scholarships in Uttar Pradesh, according to basic education department officials. In the preceding year, despite substantial efforts, only 1,79,971 students from across the state applied for NMMS, with 1,45,702 taking the exam and just 14,090 securing the scholarship. Out of the 15,143 allocated seats for Uttar Pradesh in 2022-23, 1,053 remained vacant. To address this, a target of 2,27,145 applications was set against 15,143 seats in the state this year.
The highest number of applications came from Aligarh, Prayagraj, and Jaunpur. Aligarh topped the list with a whopping 11,221 applicants, followed by Prayagraj with 8,701 and Jaunpur with 5,886 applicants. Additional districts with significant numbers of applicants include Ayodhya (5,540), Kaushambi (5,377), Ghazipur (4,745), Bareilly (4,713), and Varanasi (4,009).
In contrast, the districts of Shravasti (521), Hapur (635), Lalitpur (645), Balrampur (662), Chitrakoot (684), Mathura (685), Jalaun (764), Hathras (766), Baghpat (835), Jhansi (860), Mahoba (872), Gautam Buddha Nagar (932), Sambhal (954), and Shamli (975) received the fewest applications.
The NMMS scholarships, launched in 2008, are intended for economically disadvantaged students to curb the dropout rate after the 8th grade. The scholarship provides ₹12,000 annually to support students from the 9th to 12th grade. Eligible students can apply online at --https://www.entdata.co.in/.
Every year, approximately 1 lakh new scholarships are awarded to Class 9 students nationwide. These scholarships are renewable for Classes 10 to 12 for students studying in state government, government-aided, and local body schools.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students’ parents must have an annual income of no more than ₹3,50,000 from all sources. Students must also have a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in their Class 7 examination (with a 5% relaxation for SC/ST students) to qualify for the scholarship selection test.
Additionally, eligible students must be enrolled as regular students in the 8th grade in a government, government-aided, or local body school for the current academic year. Students from Navodaya schools, Kendriya Vidyalayas, government residential schools, Sanik schools, and private schools are not eligible for this scholarship.
