Minority Scholarship: Eligibility criteria, application process, and importance

In India, the government offers scholarships exclusively to students belonging to minority communities (i.e., Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians) under the Minority Scholarship Scheme. 

The program aims to encourage students from these communities to take up undergraduate studies in engineering, medicine, management, and science, among other disciplines traditionally dominated by students from the majority community (i.e., Hindu). 

Of course, merit also plays a vital role in determining who gets admission into these programs and financial aid from the government. Still, this particular scholarship scheme does help level the playing field for students from minority communities.

This article will discuss some of these minority scholarships, their eligibility, and why they matter.

 

What is a Minority Scholarship?

The objective of the Minority Scholarship Scheme is to provide scholarships to meritorious students. Economically weaker sections of the minority community provide them with better higher education opportunities so that they can increase their employability by pursuing higher education. 

The Minority Scholarship was started in 2006. This program for the welfare of minorities was announced under the Ministry of Minority Affairs in June 2006 to give more attention to matters related to minorities.

Its purpose was to review the overall policy and planning, coordination, evaluation, and regulatory framework and to streamline development programs to benefit minority communities. 

An essential objective of this program is to ensure the benefits of various government schemes for poor people belonging to minority communities.

 

Minority Scholarship: Who is eligible for the scholarship?

To be eligible for the minority scholarship scheme, you must fall under the following criteria:

• The child should be school-going.
• The annual income of the parents of the child should not exceed Rs 100,000.
• The child should be from a financially low-income family.
• The child must be a meritorious student to participate in the Minority Scholarship Scheme.
• The objective of this scheme is to encourage female students of minority communities towards education.
• A student who has earned more than 50% marks in the previous year in a government or non-government educational institution is eligible for this program.
• Those whose father’s annual income does not exceed one lakh are eligible for the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, while for Post-Matric Scholarship, it should not exceed two lakh. Such students can take advantage of this scheme by receiving applications through the committee.
• The Post Matric Scholarship Scheme is for students from XI to PhD.

 

Minority Scholarship: What are the conditions for applying for the scholarship?

1. Applicants will be given financial assistance through scholarships to continue technical courses at the graduate and post-graduate levels for issuing technical and professional courses from any recognised institute.
2. In this scholarship scheme, eligible technical and professional courses will be for those students who get admission to college based on competitive or without competitive examinations.
3. The course fee and maintenance allowance will be deposited directly into the student’s bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
4. Applicants should not receive any other scholarship, stipend, or scholarship to continue their studies.
5. The annual income of the parents/guardians of the applicant and the beneficiary should be at most Rs.2.50 lakh for SCs/STs and OBCs. Pre-matric scholarship for minorities has an income threshold of Rs 1 lakh, while post-matric scholarship for minorities has an income threshold of Rs 2 lakh.
6. Scholarships will only be awarded to those with an Aadhaar number.

 

Minority Scholarship: What are the steps to apply for the scholarship online?

Step 1- Click on the website https://scholarships.gov.in/ to apply for this scheme.

Step 2- A form will appear after this.

Step 3- Fill out the form carefully and ensure all the information is correct. The form will be deemed invalid if any information is incorrect.

Step 4- After filling out the form, click the submit button.

Step 5- Take a printout of the document.

Online registration in the scholarship scheme: To take advantage of this scheme, online registration will have to be done on the National Scholarship Portal.

 

Minority Scholarship: Importance  

The Minority Scholarship Scheme is one such scholarship program started by the Indian government to provide more opportunities for minorities who otherwise cannot afford a quality education.

Scholarships are an invaluable opportunity for many students to attend college who would otherwise not be able to afford it. There are many advantages of scholarships, some of which are as follows:

• Minority scholarships are vital because they help expand the pool of students and create a more diverse environment on college campuses.
• Students from under-represented groups have limited access to financial aid and federal grants. Minority scholarships provide much-needed funding, allowing these individuals to pursue their education at the same level as their peers. 
• For society to change, we need to change the people in positions of power. The best way for that to happen is by diversifying colleges with qualified applicants from all backgrounds, including minorities and low-income individuals who face more significant barriers than other people when applying for scholarships.
• Scholarships are an essential part of the educational system. They help provide opportunities for students that wouldn’t have had them otherwise.
• Ensures that every applicant has an equal opportunity to receive the funds from the scheme if they meet the requirements.

 

How do scholarships help minority students?

India is home to many minority populations, such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and Jains. These minorities are often economically disadvantaged and without access to higher education. 

Minority scholarships can provide minority students with the opportunity for an education that will allow them to overcome this disadvantage and provide a better life for themselves and their families. 

For some students, these scholarships are the difference between going to college and not. 

 

What is the impact of Minority Scholarships on society?

The minority scholarship scheme aims to improve the educational attainment and employment prospects of the minority population by providing scholarships. The scheme was conceptualised to bridge the gap between the minority and majority populations concerning access to quality education. 

This program is helping bring more minorities into higher education, which will benefit society and grow. The more educated the citizens are, the better the community will be.

With more significant job opportunities for everyone, there will also be less poverty and crime. Minority scholarships are a good way for society to progress by giving talented members of the minority group an opportunity that might not otherwise exist.

 

FAQs

Who are the minority students?

According to Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Zoroastrians (Parsis) are considered minority communities.

Who is eligible for minority scholarships?

Applicants for this scholarship must have at least 50% marks in their previous standard examination.

Are OBCs considered minorities?

The OBC is not a minority community; instead, it is a category used by the Government of India to classify socially or educationally disadvantaged people. Although the word minority appears in our constitution, it isn’t defined.

Who are minority people?

The term minority in a country defines a group of people who aren’t the majority. Objectively, they make up less than half of the total population.

How much money does the minority scholarship program offer?

A student scholarship program designed to help financially disadvantaged students can award scholarships of up to Rs 20,000 a year. This post-matric scholarship for minorities offers up to Rs 10,000 per year to students in classes 11 to PhD.