In a major reform aimed at simplifying access to scholarships, the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE) has removed the requirement of submitting a domicile certificate under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), a move expected to benefit nearly 1.2 crore students annually.
The ministry said the measure will reduce documentation requirements and compliance costs, making the application process more student-friendly and ensuring easier access to scholarship benefits. The decision is also expected to benefit thousands of eligible students pursuing education outside their home states.
As part of its efforts to strengthen digital governance, the department has launched SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment) on the UMANG platform. The portal has been developed as a comprehensive solution for scholarship-related services and provides a single interface for applicants, Institutional Nodal Officers, District Nodal Officers and state officials.
The platform facilitates application registration, tracking and validation of services, with the objective of improving transparency, efficiency and ease of access.According to the department, the reforms are aligned with the government’s broader objective of promoting inclusion, reducing procedural barriers and ensuring effective delivery of welfare schemes.
The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment said it remains committed to leveraging technology-driven reforms to expand outreach and provide timely support to students.It has undertaken several reforms and digital initiatives to improve accessibility and streamline scholarship processes for students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
As part of a key reform measure, now the applicants do not need to provide a Domicile Certificate to apply for scholarship schemes. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment said that the decision is aimed at reducing the compliance burden on students and simplifying the application process, enabling easier access to scholarship benefits.
According to the Ministry, nearly 1.2 crore students receive benefits annually under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs and OBCs. Until now, submission of a domicile certificate was a mandatory requirement under these schemes. The Ministry said that the removal of this requirement is expected to make the application process more student-friendly by reducing documentation, lowering compliance costs, and facilitating smoother access to scholarship benefits for eligible students.
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