On March 7th, 2024, a National Workshop was held in New Delhi for State Nodal Officers of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS). This workshop, held at Mirza Ghalib Hall, Scope Complex, addressed key aspects of the scholarship program.
The workshop, led by Ms. A. Srija, Economic Adviser at the Ministry of Education’s Department of School Education & Literacy, emphasized the importance of timely scholarship disbursements to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Discussions centred on ensuring prompt application verification by state officials on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
The workshop also acknowledged the outstanding performance of several states and UTs during the 2023-24 academic year. Ms. Srija urged continued monitoring of the scheme’s implementation at all levels, from schools to districts, during the NSP registration and verification windows. Additionally, states were encouraged to provide workshops for parents, teachers, and students on the NSP registration process to minimize errors and rejections.
Representatives from DBT, NIC, and CSC also participated in the workshop. A key announcement was the introduction of Aadhaar payment integration within the NSP portal starting in 2024-25. The possibility of a one-time registration (OTR) system was also discussed. The NIC-NSP team presented on recent NSP developments and upcoming features for registration and verification in the 2024-25 cycle. This session was followed by an interactive discussion between state officials and representatives from the Ministry of Education, DBT, NIC-NSP, and CSC.
The workshop further included presentations by the three top-performing states showcasing their successful strategies for accelerating registration and verification of eligible candidates within the designated NSP timelines.
The NMMSS aims to financially support meritorious students from economically weaker sections, preventing them from dropping out after Class VIII and encouraging them to pursue secondary education. Every year, one lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to students entering Class IX, with the option for continuation and renewal in Classes X to XII. The scholarships are exclusively for students enrolled in government, government-aided, and local body schools. The current annual scholarship amount is Rs. 12,000.
