Govt removes domicile certificate requirement for SC, OBC scholarships to ease access
New Delhi, June 19
The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment has removed the requirement for a domicile certificate for students applying under Pre‑Matric and Post‑Matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Classes, an official statement said on Friday.
This step is expected to reduce the compliance burden on students and simplify the application process for scholarships, enabling easier access to benefits.
Thousands of eligible applicants across the country who study in institutions other than their domicile states will be benefitted, the statement from Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment said.
Under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs and OBCs, nearly 1.2 crore students receive scholarship benefits annually. The removal of domicile certificate requirements will make the application process more student-friendly by reducing documentation requirements and lowering compliance costs.
Further strengthening digital governance, the Department has launched SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment) on the UMANG platform as a comprehensive solution for scholarship-related services.
The platform provides a single interface to the eligible applicants, Institutional Nodal Officers, District Nodal Officers and State officials for application registration, tracking, and validation of other services, improving transparency and efficiency.
"These initiatives are aligned with the government's broader objective of promoting inclusion, reducing procedural barriers, and ensuring effective delivery of welfare schemes," the statement noted.
The Department remains committed to leveraging technology-driven reforms to enhance outreach and provide timely support to students, it added.
A total of Rs 7,981.47 crore has been disbursed to over 75 lakh scheduled caste (SC) beneficiaries in FY26, an official statement said in April.
The funds were disbursed as part of schemes run by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment focused on the educational empowerment of marginalised students belonging to Scheduled Castes.
Across key scholarship programs, expenditure rose year‑on‑year, with a 21 per cent increase under the Pre Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs and Others, an 11.23 per cent increase under the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs, a rise of 13.5 per cent under Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education for SC students.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Good move for reducing paperwork, but I hope the government also ensures that these scholarships actually reach the most deserving students. Too many cases of middlemen and delays still happen. The SETU platform sounds promising though—hope it works well in rural areas with low internet connectivity.
This is a common-sense reform. Students moving for better educational opportunities shouldn't be penalized by bureaucratic red tape. The Rs 7,981 crore disbursed to SC students in FY26 shows serious commitment. Kudos to the Ministry! 🇮🇳
While I appreciate the intent, I wonder if removing the domicile requirement might lead to some students from other states exploiting the system? Not sure. But more importantly, the real challenge is that many eligible students still don't know about these schemes. The government needs to do better outreach, especially in villages.
As someone who benefited from these scholarships, I can say every simplification matters. My father had to take a day off work just to get my domicile certificate. This is real relief for daily wage families. Hope the UMANG app interface is actually user-friendly though—many first-generation learners struggle with technology. 😊
Interesting to see India's focus on digital governance for welfare schemes. The SETU platform sounds similar to what some US states have done with integrated student aid portals. Removing domicile barriers is a smart step—education should not be limited by where you were born. Hopefully this model spreads to other welfare programs too.
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