The state of West Bengal has launched the Aikyashree Scholarship for meritorious students belonging to the minority communities of the state. The scholarship program is checked and controlled by WBMDFC (West Bengal Minority Development and Finance Corporation). In this article, we have provided all the details about the Aikyashree Scholarship scholarship, its benefits, eligibility, application procedure, and important dates.
What is the Aikyashree Scholarship?
Aikyashree is an online scholarship scheme under WBMDFC. It focuses on uplifting minority communities, including Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis. It provides financial assistance to motivate worthy students to continue their higher studies.
Aikyashree, an initiative by the West Bengal Government, aims at strengthening the socioeconomic statuses of the many minority communities by offering them educational opportunities at different levels, from Class I to PhD level.
Aikyashree scholarship is fully funded by the West Bengal Government and is actively implemented from 2019 onwards. It includes all the expenses like school & college education fees along with hostel stay fees if any, and maintenance allowances.
Aikyashree Scholarship – Overview
| Scholarship | Aikyashree |
| State | West Bengal |
| Launched by | West Bengal Minority Development and Finance Corporation |
| Beneficiaries | Meritorious students belonging to Minority communities |
| Courses | Class 1 – Ph.D |
| Types of Scholarships | Pre-Matric Scholarship Post-Matric Scholarship Merit-cum-Means Scholarship |
| Academic session | 2023 |
| Mode of Application | Online |
| Application Form Submission ends On | 31 October 2023 |
| Official Portal | www.wbmdfcscholarship.org |
Aikyashree Scholarship Benefits
The primary motive of the Aikyashree scholarship scheme is to encourage deserving students not to discontinue their studies due to the lack of financial resources. The Aikyashree Scholarship scheme offers various educational opportunities to the students of minority communities at school and the college level.
Under this scholarship program, several minority communities are benefitted. It provides a chance for underprivileged students to rise and shine. Many meritorious students are serving the state as well as the nation.
Under Aikyashree, the following benefits will be granted:-
- Provides financial aid to the students belonging to the minority communities to continue with their studies.
- A minimum of Rs. 1100 will be granted to a beneficiary annually.
- An additional amount of at least 10% will be provided to the students pursuing higher studies.
- Enhances the literacy ratio in the state.
- Helps the students to upgrade their skills.
Implementation
On 18th Dec 2020, Mamta Banerjee tweeted about providing 2.03 crore scholarships worth Rs. 5657 crores to the minority communities in the state. Under the Aikyashree scheme, more than 42 lakh students benefitted in 2019-20.
Around 530 hostels are built for the beneficiaries. Along with 115 computer labs, 600 smart classrooms have been established in madrasahs.
Eligibility Criteria for Aikyashree
The eligibility criteria to avail of the benefits of the Aikyashree Scholarship differ according to the educational level and type of scholarship one is applying for.
| Type of Scholarship | Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|
| Pre- Matric & Post- Matric | (i) Bear Domicile Certificate of WB. (ii) Must be studying in any approved by the Central/ State govt. (iii) Minimum of 50% marks in the previous examination. (iv) Annual income of the family must be less than Rs. 2 Lakh. (v) Must be studying in WB institutes only. |
| Merit-cum-Means | (i) Bear Domicile Certificate of WB. (ii) Must have admission in any professional/ technical course. (iii) Minimum of 50% marks in the previous examination (iv) The family’s annual income of the beneficiaries must be less than Rs. 2.5 Lakh. (v) WB residents studying outside the state can also apply. |
Scholarship Funds
The proposed funds under the Aikyashree Scholarship scheme are as follows:
Remarks
- Admission and Tuition fees are subject to actuals.
- Hostellers are also the students who are staying as PG or on rent.
- The full course fee may be compensated for the selected institutes.
- Maintenance allowances are paid for only ten months in an academic year.
Aikyashree: Points to Remember
- The beneficiaries need to submit a copy of the Income certificate at the time of their admission.
- The scholarship application form is valid per academic session.
- Both hostellers and day scholars will be granted maintenance allowances per the rules.
- The candidates must check the eligibility criteria beforehand to avoid any last-minute disappointments.
- The students applying for the renewal of their application must have secured at least 50% marks in the last examination attempted.
- Regular attendance must be maintained.
- The course fee and maintenance allowances will be paid to the student via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) mode.
- If any student is found to have violated any rules and code of conduct, his/her scholarship is subjected to termination. The scholarship amount paid will also be redeemed.
- If any student fails to produce the requisite documents or the information provided is false, his/her scholarship is subjected to cancellation or suspension.
How to Apply for Aikyashree Scholarship?
The applicants must follow the step-by-step procedure to apply for the scholarship. The application form is available on the official website of WBMDFC, the link to which is provided below.
The procedure can be divided into the following six stages:
Stage 1: Student Registration
Step 1: Interested and eligible students must visit the official portal of WBMDFC and click on the “New Registration” tab, as shown in the image below.
Step 2: The students must select the institute’s district they want to apply for.
Step 3: The students must register for the scholarship by carefully filling in the following details. Click “Submit and Proceed” at the end.
Stage 2: Scheme Eligibility
Step 4: Fill in all the fields under the Scheme Eligibility section to check the student’s eligibility to qualify for the scholarship benefits.
Stage 3: Successful Registration
Step 5: The students will receive a temporary user ID after successful registration. Preserve the user ID for the next stage.
Step 6: Check the registered email ID for User ID and password.
Stage 4: Student Login
Step 7: Login using the provided User ID and password.
If anyone wants to fill out the application form later, select the “Student’s Login” tab on the homepage and log in using the User ID and Password.
Step 8: Change the password for security purposes.
Stage 5: Final Submission (Online)
Step 9: The students need to fill in their basic, academic, and bank account information carefully and correctly. The application form is subject to be rejected if any information is false.
Step 10: Review the application form and lock it.
Step 11: Print the application form for the next step.
Stage 6: Final Submission (offline)
Step 12: The students must submit the hard copy of the application form and a copy of the bank passbook that must include the details, such as the student’s account number and branch IFSC code, to the institute they have applied for.
Documents Required for Aikyashree Scholarship
Interested candidates must keep the following documents handy to apply for the scholarship.
- West Bengal Domicile Certificate
- Community Certificate
- Income Certificate
- Aadhar Card
- Proof of DOB
- Photograph
- Marksheet of the previous examination
- Candidate’s Bank Account details
Important Links
| Apply Now | Aikyashree Scholarship 2023-24 Application Form |
| Check Out For More Details | Aikyashree Scholarship 2023-24 Notification |
| For Related Updates, Follow | NVSHQ Homepage |
