Government initiatives for education and skills: How to apply for one?

Date : 24/11/2020
Read: 5 mins

What are the scholarships and schemes you can apply for and make your educational or skill development dreams come true.

Government initiatives for education and skills. How to apply for one?

Education is very crucial for the development of a country. An educated India is a key to our economic and social development, which is why the government has always focused on the improvement of literacy in the country. Even the recent governments have introduced various schemes time and again to promote education as well as skill development. Apart from ensuring elementary education for all, the focus of the government, of late, has been to provide specialised skills and vocations to its citizens and tend to the educational needs of women, minorities and other marginalised section of the society. Let us look at some of these initiatives and how we can utilise them for our benefit.

Women

1. Women Scientist Scheme provides an opportunity for women doctoral degree holders who are on a maternity or career break and wishes to return to employment. Interest women can apply in the scheme’s official website.

2. Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship is meant to provide financial support to meritorious school girls from the minority communities of India and from a low-income household. She has to go to the scheme’s website and apply for the scholarship.

3. Pragati Scholarship For Girl is for girl child who is looking to pursue technical education. This scholarship can be applied from Pragati Saksham website.

4. UDAAN-CBSE Scholarship Program aims to improve the low percentage of girls in prestigious engineering educations and UDAAN applications can be filled from www.cbse.nic.in or www.cbseacademic.in

5. CBSE Single Girl Child Scholarship is for a meritorious single child who has passed CBSE Class X examination with 60% or more. The scholarship can be applied here

6. National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education is aimed to provide encouragement to girls of the age group 14-18 to take up secondary education. In the link https://scholarships.gov.in/, you have to go to the Department of School Education and Literacy in order to apply for the scheme.

7. Skill upgradation and Mahila Coir Yojana is aimed at providing training to women artisans in coir fibre production. Trainees for this in-house training at National Coir Training (NCT) &Design Centre (DC ) are selected on the basis of recommendations from authorities of coir producing states and through an invitation for applications.

Education for specific categories

8. Dr Ambedkar pre-matric and post-matric scholarship for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNTs) students cover students who are not covered in any of the reserved caste categories and are from a low-income household. Application form for this scholarship can be filled in the link.

9. LIC Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme is for 10+2 pass outs from economically weaker section of the society who are looking to pursue higher education or vocational courses. The scholarship can be applied online at Golden Jubilee Foundation website.

10. Pre-Matric Scholarship for Minorities, Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship For Minorities, Post-Matric Scholarship for Minorities are schemes that are tailor-made for the minority communities of India. The application has to be made online on the National Scholarship Portal at https://scholarships.gov.in/

11. PM’s Scholarship Scheme encourages professional and technical education for the wards of ex-servicemen/ex-coast guard. It can be applied through the application form.

12. Trust Fund Scholarship for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is for students with 40% disabilities who are looking to pursue post matric/post-secondary technical or professional courses. Interested students can apply here

13. Saksham Scholarship by AICTE for Differently Abled Students Pursuing Technical Education enables students with more than 40% disability to pursue technical education in AICTE affiliated institutions. They need to apply using this link.

14. Umbrella Scholarship Scheme for Student with Disabilities comprises of six scholarship schemes - Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, Top Class education, National Overseas scholarship, National fellowship and Free Coaching. This scheme seeks to ensure overall socio-economic empowerment of people with disabilities. Applications will be called through the National Scholarship Portal on this link

Education for specific castes

15. Scheme for Upgradation of Merit of SC Students is for upgrading the academic capabilities of SC students through remedial and coaching sessions. The scheme can be applied here.

On the other hand, Central Sector Scholarship of Top Class Education For SC students provides financial support to SC students. It can be applied here.

Pre-Matric Scholarship to the SC Students studying in classes IX & X is also provided, and interested students can know more about it here.

16. Free Coaching Scheme for SC and OBC Students is provided for appearances in competitive examinations. You can know more about it here.

17. Pre-Matric and Post-matric Scholarship for OBC students are for children of the OBC category. They can know more about the scholarship here and here.

General and higher studies

18. Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme is designed for doctoral programmes in cutting edge science and technology domains, particularly those of national interest. Interested students can apply for the fellowship here.

19. National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme is given based on selections based on exams conducted by NCERT. In the link https://scholarships.gov.in/, you have to go to the Department of School Education and Literacy in order to apply for the scheme.

20. Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Fund scholarship offers the chance to pursue a PhD in India to Indian nationals as well as nationals of other Asian countries. It can be applied using the link here.