AUG 03: The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of Education, conducted an Awareness Session on the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) in Meerut on August 2, 2025. The event was chaired by Smt. A. Srija, Economic Advisor, DoSEL, and attended by District Nodal Officers (DNOs), school heads, and teachers from eight districts of Uttar Pradesh—Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Shamli.
The NMMSS is a central scholarship initiative that supports meritorious students from economically weaker sections to complete their schooling from Class IX to XII. Each selected student receives ₹12,000 per annum via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, either in their name or that of a parent. The scheme is applicable only to students studying in government and government-aided schools, excluding institutions like KVS, NVS, and residential schools.
Smt. Srija noted that Uttar Pradesh holds the highest annual quota—15,000 fresh scholarships—and emphasized the need for timely and accurate application verification on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Students must register using their Aadhaar number and complete One-Time Registration (OTR) before applying.
The session included a detailed demonstration of the NSP application process, highlighting common errors to avoid and explaining the two-tier verification system—initially by the school Nodal Officer, and then at the district level by DNOs. It also explained the new biometric authentication requirements introduced in 2024–25 for both students and verifiers.
In addition to NMMSS, officials also discussed Vidyanjali, a volunteer-driven school support initiative, the MyGov School Challenge to raise awareness on tobacco’s harmful effects, and Universal Design of Learning (UDL) textbooks by NCERT.
The workshop saw participation from 210 stakeholders across Meerut Mandal, with insights from senior DoSEL officials and NCERT representatives. The session aimed to streamline scholarship access and enhance transparency in disbursement.
