Pre-Matric Scholarships to the Children of Those Engaged in Occupations Involving Cleaning and Prone to Health Hazards

Description
Launched in the year 1977-78, the scheme "Pre-Matric Scholarships to the Children of Those Engaged in Occupations Involving Cleaning and Prone to Health Hazards" is a Scholarship Scheme by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to children whose parents/guardians belong to one of the following categories, to pursue Pre-Matric education: Tanners, Flayers, Waste Pickers and Persons who are either presently engaged in Manual Scavenging.

Definitions
Disability
The term "disability" as per the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities), Protection of Rights and Full Participation Act, 1955 is defined as blindness, low-vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation and mental illness, which has to be certified by competent medical authority of the State Government/Union Territory Administration.
(Source: https://nskfdc.nic.in/writereaddata/files/Regulations_PMS.pdf)

Benefits
• Day Scholars: Class 1st to 10th: ₹ 110/- per month for ten months.
• Hostellers: Class 3rd to 10th: ₹ 700/- per month for ten months.
• ₹ 750/- per student per annum to all-day scholars.
• ₹ 1000/- per student per annum to hostellers.
• Reader Allowance of ₹ 100 per month for blind students in classes III and X.
• Transport Allowance of ₹ 50 per month for disabled students not residing in the hostel located within the premises of the educational institution.
• Special Pay of ₹ 100 per month would be admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend help to a severely orthopedically handicapped student residing in a hostel managed by the educational institution or by the State Government/Union Territory Administration who may need the assistance of a helper.
• Escort Allowance of ₹ 50 per month for severely handicapped day scholar students with lower extremity disability.
• Extra Coaching Allowance of ₹ 100 per month to mentally retarded and mentally ill students in classes III and X.
• NOTE 1: The students amongst target groups with disabilities covered under this scheme can, however, also get such additional benefits from other schemes, which are not covered in the above provision.
• The scholarships may be given to students enrolled in class 1st or any subsequent class or pre-matric stage in the case of day scholars.
• The scholarships may be given to students enrolled in class 3rd or any subsequent class of the pre-matric stage in the case of hostellers.
• The scholarship will terminate at the end of class 10th.
• The duration of the scholarship in an academic year is ten months.
• The scholarship amount will be payable from the date of joining to the date of leaving the school, excluding the period of vacation, which will be about 10 months in a year except in the cases where the student enters or leaves early in the midst of academic year.
• In order to ensure timely and correct payment of the scholarship amount to the beneficiaries, State Governments/UT administrations will ensure payment of scholarship through their accounts in banks through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) as prescribed by the Govt. of India. All State government/UT Administrations will implement a computerized management system of scholarships, including 'e-payment' system.

Eligibility Criteria
1. ##### **Eligibility**
2. The scholarship will be admissible to the children/wards of Indian Nationals who, irrespective of their religion belong to one of the following categories:
3. Tanners & Flayers.
4. Waste Pickers.
5. Persons who are Manual Scavengers as defined under section 2(I) (g) of the Manual Scavengers Act 2013.
6. Persons engaged in hazardous cleaning as defined in Section 2(I) (d) of the Manual Scavengers Act 2013.
7. <br>
8. ##### **Other Conditions**
9. The students may not be allowed to take up employment or render help to parents in their work during the course of their studies.
10. The award will be discontinued if a student fails to secure annual promotion except in case of unavoidable reasons to be certified by the Head of the Institution in which the student is studying.
11. If a student violates school discipline or any other terms and conditions of the scholarships, the scholarship may be suspended or even cancelled, subject to the satisfaction of the competent school authority.
12. Migration of students from one institution to another would not normally be allowed during the course of the academic year except under exceptional circumstances and in the interest of the student&#39;s academic career.
13. The scholar obtaining benefits under this scheme is not allowed to avail of benefits under any other pre-matric scholarship scheme.
14. The students should be regular in attendance for which the yardstick is to be decided by the competent authority of the school.

Application Process
Step 1: The scheme will be announced by the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration well in time, by giving advertisements in the leading language newspapers local dailies and by using other suitable publicity media.
The concerned Depart…
Online

The scheme will be announced by the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration well in time, by giving advertisements in the leading language newspapers local dailies and by using other suitable publicity media.
The concerned Department of the State Government/Union Territory administration will supply the application forms, which should be received back by that department along with the prescribed certificate, by the last date.
The State Government/ UT Administration will define the modalities and issue instructions to concerned agencies for the identification of the target group.
The State Government will instruct the institutions to provide full support to students in submitting applications for scholarships.
The applications along with supporting documents should be called online along with hard copies.
The student should fill the application form and submit it to the School Authority.
The school should upload the applications in the portal.
The scholarship, once awarded, may be renewed during the next academic year by the concerned State Government/Union Territory Administration.

Required Documents
• Passport Sized Photograph
• Aadhaar Card (Optional/Mandatory)
• Bank Details of the Aadhaar-linked Bank Account
• Disability Certificate (if applicable)
• Proof of Educational Qualification
• Bonafide Certificate from the School
• Birth Certificate
• A certificate from the District Social Welfare Officer/ Identified Officer of a Local Body/ Civic Agency/ Authority designated by the State Government, proving that that at least one parent of the applicant is currently engaged in the eligible occupations.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What role do schools play in assisting students with scholarship applications?
A: Schools are expected to provide full support to students in submitting their scholarship applications and coordinating with the State Government and NSKFDC.

Q: How is the scheme announced, and how can students apply for it?
A: The scheme is announced by the State Government/Union Territory Administration through advertisements in newspapers, and application forms are supplied by the concerned department. The application process is a combination of online and hard copy submissions.

Q: Can you explain the duration and course of studies covered by the scholarship?
A: The scholarship applies to students in class I or subsequent classes for day scholars and class III or subsequent classes for hostellers. It terminates at the end of class X, covering a ten-month academic year.

Q: How is the scholarship disbursed?
A: The scholarship amount is paid from the date of joining to the date of leaving school, excluding vacation periods, and is typically disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in the student's bank account.

Q: What qualifies as a disability for this scholarship?
A: Disabilities are defined by the Persons with Disabilities Act and include conditions like blindness, low-vision, leprosy-cured, hearing impairment, locomotor disability, mental retardation, and mental illness.

Q: Are there additional provisions for students with disabilities?
A: Yes, there are allowances and benefits for students with disabilities, including reader allowances and transport allowances.

Q: What are the financial benefits for day scholars and hostellers under this scheme?
A: Day scholars in classes 1st to 10th receive [?]110 per month for ten months, while hostellers in classes 3rd to 10th receive [?]700 per month for ten months, along with ad-hoc grants.

Q: Can a student benefit from multiple pre-matric scholarship schemes?
A: No, students benefiting from this scheme cannot avail of benefits under any other pre-matric scholarship scheme.

Q: Are there any conditions regarding student migration between institutions?
A: Migration is generally not allowed during the academic year except under exceptional circumstances and in the interest of the student's academic career.

Q: What happens if a student fails to secure annual promotion?
A: If a student fails to secure annual promotion, their scholarship may be discontinued unless there are valid reasons certified by the Head of the Institution.

Q: Are students allowed to work during their studies if they receive this scholarship?
A: No, students cannot take up employment or assist their parents in such work during their studies.

Q: Can children who are adopted by those engaged in these occupations also receive the scholarship?
A: Yes, adopted children can be eligible, but there are specific conditions and a waiting period.

Q: Which categories of occupations are eligible for this scholarship?
A: The eligible occupations include manual scavengers, tanners, flayers, and waste pickers.

Q: What is the history and purpose of the Pre-Matric Scholarship scheme for children of those in unclean occupations?
A: The scheme has been in place since 1977-78, with the objective of providing financial assistance to children of individuals engaged in certain unclean occupations to pursue pre-matric education.