The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious students belonging to minority communities to enable them to pursue professional and technical courses.

Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parents/guardians from all sources does not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh.

Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. A total of 60,000 scholarships are targeted to be distributed as ‘Fresh’ Scholarships, besides, Renewal scholarships. The distribution of scholarship among the States/Union Territories will be made on the basis of population of minorities in the States/Union Territories as per Census 2001 for 2017-18 and as per the population of minorities in the States/Union Territories of Census 2011 for 2018-19 and 2019-20 (as per Appendices- A & B).

1.  30% scholarship is earmarked for girls students of each minority community in a State/UT which is transferable to male students of that community in case of non-availability of female students in that community in the concerned State/UT. 30% is the floor and not the ceiling for eligible girl students.
2.  If the physical target of scholarship for a particular minority community in a state/UT is not utilized, it will be distributed among the same minority community in other States/UTs strictly in accordance with merit and without disturbing the national ratio. Any unutilized community quota shall be distributed amongst other communities again in accordance with merit and without affecting the overall national quota. 

3.  A student residing in a particular State/UT will be entitled for scholarship under the quota of that State/UT only irrespective of his/her place of study.

1. Scholarship will be provided for the entire academic year/course. Similarly, the maintenance allowance will be given as fixed lump sum amount for an academic year (Rs. 10,000/- for Hosteller and Rs. 5,000/- for Day Scholar).

There is a list of 85 Reputed Premier Institutes, covered under the scheme, for which a student is eligible for full Course Fee reimbursement as scholarship during an academic year. A list of such Institutes is at Appendix – C.

The scholarship, once awarded, may be renewed during the next academic year of the course on the production of certificate that the student has secured 50% marks in the previous year’s examination (each semester / trimester of previous year provided the students pursues the same course in the same Institute).

The scheme is implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). It is mandatory for all students to apply online on the website i.e. www.scholarships.gov.in.