Only 43% slots in UP's quota for NMMS scholarships filled: Report

NEW DELHI: Only 43 percent of students were selected in Uttar Pradesh against the total allotted share for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) by the Union education ministry.

NMMSS is a central sector scheme which was launched in 2008 to provide scholarships to meritorious students of economically weaker sections. The scholarship intends to reduce the dropout rate in Class 8 and encourage students to continue their education at the secondary stage. Under the scheme, about one lakh scholarships are awarded to selected students of Class 9 annually, which could be renewed in Classes 10 to 12. The scholarships are provided to students studying in state government, government-aided and local body schools. Under the scheme, the scholarship is provided at a rate of Rs 12000 per annum.

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According to a report by the Hindustan Times Usha Chandra, director of the coordinating body of the NMMSS in Uttar Pradesh refrained to comment on the low number of students for the scholarship. About 15,143 students are supposed to benefit from the NMMSS scheme, state secondary education department officials reportedly said. As many as 27,352 candidates appeared in the examination. However, only 8,152 students passed the exam, officials told Hindustan Times.

As per the data provided on the website -- entdata.co.in, in certain districts more number of students have qualified than the allotted quota. Only about 6,456 meritorious candidates from UP, i.e., 43 percent of meritorious students will be able to get the scholarship due to all such reasons, officials reportedly said.

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The Union education ministry has recently changed the criteria to be eligible to avail of the scholarship by increasing the family income limit of the candidates from this year. The income limit has been set at Rs 3.50 lakh annually, the officials reportedly said.