Pre Matric Scholarship Scheme (Saral Vidya Sahay) for SC and OBC (V to VIII)

What is the Saral Vidya Sahay scholarship in Goa?

Saral Vidya Sahay is the pre-matric scholarship of the Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Goa, for Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Class school students. According to the Directorate's scheme page, it was notified vide No. 62-2-04-BC (136) dated 8 June 2006, and its stated objective is "to improve the educational status and to assist to reduce drop rate".

Saral Vidya Sahay pays a monthly amount rather than a lump sum, and it is paid for 11 months of the school year:

• Scheduled Caste students: Rs 325 per month, that is Rs 3,575 a year.
• Other Backward Class students: Rs 225 per month, that is Rs 2,475 a year.

The scheme is often listed as a Class 5 to 8 scholarship. The Directorate's own scheme page states the eligible range as Classes 5 to 10, which is the figure this guide follows, because the department page is the primary source. If your child is in Class 9 or 10 and the school tells you the scheme does not apply, ask the school to check the current year's circular against the Directorate page, since the Directorate also runs separate pre-matric scholarships specifically for Classes 9 and 10.

Who is eligible for Saral Vidya Sahay?

A student can apply if:

• The student is a bonafide resident of the State of Goa.
• The student is a regular student at an institution: not a private or correspondence candidate.
• The student belongs to a Scheduled Caste or an Other Backward Class notified for Goa, evidenced by a caste certificate.
• Combined parental income does not exceed Rs 1,20,000 per annum, for both SC and OBC applicants.
• The student is in Classes 5 to 10.
• The student has a nationalised bank account that is Aadhaar-seeded.

A student is not eligible if:

• The family is not resident in Goa, or the student studies outside the state under this particular scheme.
• Combined parental income exceeds Rs 1,20,000 a year. The income ceiling applies to both categories at the same figure.
• The student is not from a Scheduled Caste or Other Backward Class. Scheduled Tribe and general-category students cannot apply under Saral Vidya Sahay.
• The student is outside Classes 5 to 10; pre-primary, Classes 1 to 4 and higher secondary students are covered, if at all, by different schemes.
• The student is not a regular student at a recognised institution.

How much money does Saral Vidya Sahay give?

The 11-month cycle matches the school year and leaves out the long vacation month. Payment is made by direct benefit transfer into the student's Aadhaar-seeded nationalised bank account, which is why the Directorate lists a nationalised bank passbook copy as a required document rather than any bank passbook.

What documents are required for Saral Vidya Sahay?

In Goa, caste and income certificates are issued by the Mamlatdar of the taluka in which the family resides. Both take time, and both are the documents that most often delay a scholarship file, so start them before the school term opens rather than after the portal opens.

How to apply for Saral Vidya Sahay online

1. Collect the caste certificate and income certificate from the Mamlatdar of your taluka. The income certificate must show combined parental income of not more than Rs 1,20,000 per annum.
2. Open or confirm a nationalised bank account in the student's name and get it Aadhaar-seeded, since the scholarship is credited by direct benefit transfer.
3. Go to the Goa scholarship portal at cmscholarship.goa.gov.in and register the student, or log in if the student is already registered from a previous year.
4. Select Saral Vidya Sahay under the Directorate of Social Welfare schemes, and choose the correct category — Scheduled Caste or Other Backward Class, since the rate differs.
5. Fill the application with the student's personal details, school and class, caste and income particulars, Aadhaar number and bank account details.
6. Upload the scanned documents: caste certificate, income certificate, Aadhaar card, previous class marksheet and the nationalised bank passbook page showing the account number and IFSC.
7. Submit the application and note the application number. Print or save the acknowledgement.
8. Get the school to verify the application if the portal routes it through the institution head, and then track the status on the portal until it shows sanctioned.

How to apply offline

1. Approach the school head for the Saral Vidya Sahay application form, or the Directorate of Social Welfare, 18th June Road, Panjim.
2. Submit the filled form with self-attested copies of the caste certificate, income certificate, Aadhaar card, previous class marksheet and bank passbook.
3. Collect a dated acknowledgement and follow up on 0832-2232257 or 0832-2223784.

How to check your scholarship status

Log in to cmscholarship.goa.gov.in and open the status screen for your application number. The status will show whether the application is pending at the institution, pending at the Directorate, sanctioned, or returned for correction. Applications returned for correction usually need a re-uploaded certificate rather than a fresh application, so read the remark before starting over.

If the status does not move for several weeks, contact the Directorate of Social Welfare on 0832-2232257 or 0832-2223784, or email socialwelfaregoa@rediffmail.com with the application number and the school name.

Why Saral Vidya Sahay payments get stuck

• Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded. The single commonest reason a sanctioned scholarship does not reach the account. Ask the bank branch to seed the Aadhaar number.
• Account in a non-nationalised bank. The Directorate's document list specifies a nationalised bank passbook.
• Name mismatch between the Aadhaar record, the school record and the bank account. Get all three to match the school record.
• Income certificate above Rs 1,20,000, or an income certificate that has expired. Certificates carry a validity period; renew before applying.
• Caste certificate not matching the category chosen on the portal. An OBC certificate filed against the Scheduled Caste rate will be returned.
• School has not verified the application. Many applications sit at the institution stage rather than at the Directorate. Ask the school clerk.

Where to raise a grievance

Grievances go to the Director, Directorate of Social Welfare, Government of Goa, 18th June Road, Panjim, Goa, telephone 0832-2232257 or 0832-2223784, fax 0832-2228172, email socialwelfaregoa@rediffmail.com. The Directorate publishes the Saral Vidya Sahay rates, income limit and notification number on socialwelfare.goa.gov.in, which is the reference to quote if a school or office states a different figure.

Applying is free. No agent is needed, and the only payments involved are the notified government fees for the caste and income certificates at the Mamlatdar's office.