Free Books Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students in Government Colleges, Haryana
Haryana state government scheme
Free Books Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students pays Rs 2,000 per student a year to SC students studying in Haryana government colleges, so they can buy their own textbooks. The amount is transferred through PFMS in a yearly instalment in October into an Aadhaar-seeded bank account, after the college principal verifies the application filed on the Har-Chhatravratti portal.
What is the Free Books Scheme for SC students in Haryana?
Free Books Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students is a Haryana state scheme run by the Directorate of Higher Education, Panchkula, that gives Scheduled Caste students in government colleges of Haryana Rs 2,000 per student to buy textbooks. The benefit comes from the same government decision as the Consolidated Stipend Scheme: the Chief Minister announced on 1 July 2008 that SC students studying in colleges would be provided an amount of Rs 2,000 per student for the purchase of books and a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month.
The scheme document describes the object as attracting Scheduled Caste students towards higher education, and says it will be implemented in all the government colleges of Haryana. On the Har-Chhatravratti portal it appears as a separate line item, "Free Books For SC Students", alongside the stipend scheme, so a student applies for each one and receives each one separately.
Despite the name, the current mode of delivery is cash into a bank account, not physical books handed out at the college counter. Students buy their own textbooks with the money.
How much does the free books scheme give and when?
| Item | Amount | Payment timing |
|---|---|---|
| Book allowance | Rs 2,000 per student | Yearly instalment in October, through PFMS |
The scheme document is specific about the mechanism: "the amount of books shall be transferred through PFMS by Head Quarter in yearly instalment in October". The principals of the colleges forward the verified data of the students on the online scholarship portal, the registration branch of the concerned university verifies the data at the second step, and the directorate then does the final verification and disbursement through PFMS to the beneficiary in their respective Aadhaar-seeded bank account.
That three-step chain: college, university, directorate, is the same one used for the consolidated stipend, and it is where most delays originate.
Who is eligible for the free books benefit?
You can apply if:
- You belong to a Scheduled Caste and hold a valid caste certificate.
- You hold a Haryana domicile certificate.
- You are studying in a government college of Haryana.
- You can furnish the marksheet of the previous examination passed, on the basis of which you sought admission to the present class.
You cannot apply, or you lose the benefit, if:
- You failed the last year's university examination. The scheme document states that students who failed in the last year's university examination are not eligible.
- You are not from a Scheduled Caste. Grandchildren of freedom fighters receive an equivalent Rs 2,000 book allowance under their own scheme, and other categories have separate schemes on the same portal.
- You study in a private, self-financing or distance-mode institution rather than a government college of Haryana.
- You cannot produce a Haryana domicile certificate.
The scheme document does not publish an income ceiling for this benefit.
What documents does a student need?
The scheme document lists what a Scheduled Caste student must furnish to the principal of the college:
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste certificate | Yes | Photocopy to the principal |
| Haryana domicile certificate | Yes | Photocopy to the principal |
| Previous examination marksheet | Yes | The exam on which the current admission is based |
| Parivar Pehchan Patra (Family ID) | Yes | Needed to register on Har-Chhatravratti |
| Aadhaar card | Yes | For the Aadhaar-seeded account used by PFMS |
| Bank passbook | Yes | Student's own account |
| College bonafide certificate | Yes | Confirms enrolment |
Keep the bank account in the student's own name. Payment under the new mode goes to the beneficiary's account, not to a parent's account and not to a college account.
How to apply for the free books scheme in Haryana
- Confirm your admission in a government college of Haryana and collect the bonafide certificate from the college office.
- Register on the Har-Chhatravratti portal at harchhatravratti.highereduhry.ac.in using your Parivar Pehchan Patra (Family ID), and complete OTP verification on the mobile number recorded in the Family ID.
- Select "Free Books For SC Students" from the Directorate of Higher Education list of schemes on the portal. If you are also claiming the monthly stipend, apply for "Consolidated Stipend Scheme For SC Students" as well.
- Fill in the application with personal, academic, caste, domicile and bank details, and upload each scanned document in the prescribed size and format.
- Submit before the session's closing date, then save the application number and take a printout.
- Hand the photocopies to the principal, so that the college record matches the portal entry and the principal can forward verified data.
- Track the three verification stages on the portal; college, university registration branch, directorate — until the sanction shows.
The portal listing for the 2025-26 session shows this scheme as having closed on 11 February 2026. Windows reopen each academic session, so check the notices section when your college session begins.
How to apply with help if you cannot file online
- Ask your college's scholarship nodal officer. Most Haryana government colleges designate a nodal officer, and the scheme document says the nodal officer and clerk should preferably be from the SC category.
- Use a Common Service Centre or Antyodaya Saral Kendra for assisted online filing if you do not have a device or internet connection.
- Contact the Directorate of Higher Education, Shiksha Sadan, Sector 5, Panchkula on 0172-2565530 if the college is unable to help.
No agent may charge a fee to add your name to the beneficiary list.
Why do free books claims fail?
- Failure in the previous university examination, which makes the student ineligible outright under the stated condition.
- Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded, so the PFMS transfer bounces.
- Account in a parent's name, when the transfer is to be made to the beneficiary.
- College has not forwarded the verified data on the online scholarship portal within the directorate's timeline.
- University registration branch verification pending, which is the second of the three steps and is easy to overlook.
- Family ID record out of date, blocking registration at the first step.
- Applying after the portal window closes for the session.
Most of these are fixable within the session if you check the status early rather than waiting for October to pass without a credit.
How to check status and raise a grievance
- Log in to the Har-Chhatravratti portal with the credentials created at registration.
- Open the application status screen and identify the pending stage.
- For a pending college stage, meet the principal or scholarship nodal officer and ask for the data to be forwarded.
- For a pending university stage, contact the registration branch of your university.
- For a pending directorate stage or a failed credit, contact the Directorate of Higher Education on 0172-2565530 or the help desk email published on the portal.
How this scheme fits with other Haryana benefits
Free Books for SC Students is one of a linked set. An SC student in a Haryana government college can normally hold:
- Consolidated Stipend Scheme for SC Students, Rs 1,000 a month for 12 months, plus Rs 500 a month more for hostellers.
- Free Books for SC Students, the Rs 2,000 yearly book allowance described here.
- Post Matric Scholarship for SC Students of the Government of India, run in Haryana by the SEWA department. The stipend under the linked scheme was designed as help for sundry charges specifically so that beneficiaries do not become ineligible for the Post Matric Scholarship.
Girls in government colleges may separately qualify for the State Merit Scholarship to Under Graduate Girls Students, and CBSE state toppers for the Haryana State Meritorious Incentive Scheme, both of which are listed on the same Har-Chhatravratti portal. Note that some merit awards bar the holder from taking any other scholarship from a state government source, so read the conditions of the merit scheme before combining it with this one.
Documents required
Frequently asked questions
How much is the free books allowance for SC students in Haryana?
The scheme pays Rs 2,000 per student for the purchase of books. The amount follows the Chief Minister's announcement of 1 July 2008 that SC students studying in colleges would be provided Rs 2,000 per student for the purchase of books along with a stipend of Rs 1,000 per month.
When is the book allowance paid?
The amount of books is transferred through PFMS by the headquarters in a yearly instalment in October. The college principal forwards the verified student data on the online scholarship portal, the university registration branch verifies it in the second step, and the directorate carries out the final verification before disbursement.
Does the college give physical books or money?
Under the current mode the student receives money, not books. The book amount is transferred through PFMS directly into the beneficiary's Aadhaar-seeded bank account, and the student buys the textbooks.
Who cannot get the free books benefit?
Students who failed the last year's university examination are not eligible. Students who are not from a Scheduled Caste, who do not hold a Haryana domicile certificate, or who are studying outside the government colleges of Haryana are also not eligible.
Can I get both the consolidated stipend and the free books amount?
Yes. The two benefits come from the same scheme document and share the same eligibility conditions, so an eligible SC student in a Haryana government college receives Rs 1,000 per month as stipend and Rs 2,000 once a year for books, listed as two separate schemes on the Har-Chhatravratti portal.
Where do I apply for the free books scheme?
Apply online on the Har-Chhatravratti centralised scholarship portal of the Directorate of Higher Education at harchhatravratti.highereduhry.ac.in, selecting "Free Books For SC Students". The 2025-26 window on that portal closed on 11 February 2026.
Is there an income limit for the free books scheme?
No income limit is stated in the scheme document, which lists caste certificate, domicile certificate, the previous examination marksheet and the pass condition as the eligibility requirements. If a college asks for an income certificate, ask which order it is being sought under.
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