New Delhi: The government has announced a major revision to the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) framework, effective from the Academic Year 2026-27. Under the new rules, students will no longer be denied a Merit-based Scholarship if they are already receiving a Welfare-based Scholarship, and vice versa.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has directed all affiliated schools to widely disseminate the information among students, parents, and stakeholders to ensure maximum awareness.
Background to the Revision
The changes stem from challenges encountered during the implementation of the deduplication module in 2024-25. Several beneficiaries were flagged as duplicates due to overlaps between schemes administered by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment (DoSJE).
The government order noted that while the principle of “One Student – One Scholarship” is generally followed, the term “scholarship” is often used interchangeably with financial assistance and incentives. This has led to confusion and inconsistencies in eligibility and implementation across ministries.
Classification of Scholarships
To bring clarity, ministries have been asked to classify schemes under two broad categories:
Merit-based Scholarships Awarded on the basis of academic performance, rankings, or achievements in competitive examinations. Examples: National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students, INSPIRE.
Welfare-based Scholarships Designed to provide financial support to students from disadvantaged communities, categories, or socio-economic groups. Examples: Pre-matric and Post-matric scholarships for SC, ST, OBC, and minority students.
Application Submission and Editing
Initial application details will be retained for subsequent applications, requiring only scheme-specific updates.
If an application is marked “Defective”, only scheme-specific details may be edited. For changes to general, academic, or institute details, applicants must withdraw all submitted applications first.
Verification Process
L1 Verification: Tuition and admission fee details from the first application will auto-populate in subsequent ones. Deficiencies will be categorised as scheme-specific or general/academic.
L2 Verification: All applications submitted by a student will be visible to concerned officers across schemes, ensuring consistency. If general or academic deficiencies are found, all linked applications will be flagged under the “Red Flag” category.