Haryana State Meritorious Incentive Scheme for CBSE Toppers

What is the Haryana State Meritorious Incentive Scheme for CBSE toppers?

Haryana State Meritorious Incentive Scheme is a Haryana state award run by the Directorate of Higher Education, Panchkula, for students who attain a merit position in the CBSE annual examinations. The scheme document states its object plainly: to encourage meritorious students who have attained the top position in CBSE annual exams by giving them a substantial amount as a motivating incentive, and to encourage excellence in academics and the overall development of students.

Under the scheme, two students each year: one boy and one girl, are given an annual incentive based on their top position in the CBSE class 10 annual examination, and another two; again one boy and one girl — on the basis of the CBSE class 12 annual examination.

The Directorate lists it on the Har-Chhatravratti centralised scholarship portal as "Haryana State Meritorious Incentives Scheme (CBSE)". A parallel scheme with a similar name exists for the Board of School Education Haryana; this guide covers the CBSE version.

How much does the CBSE meritorious incentive pay?

The incentive is not a flat prize. The amount of incentive is equal to the school or college fee paid by the student annually, until the completion of the degree up to graduation level, subject to two ceilings:

For a class 10 topper, the incentive is available if the student takes up higher studies at 10+2 level and continues up to degree level. The entire fee is paid by the state government till the completion of graduation in any stream, within the two caps above.

For a 10+2 topper, the incentive is available if the student pursues higher studies in any stream, with the amount equal to the fee paid to the institution annually but not exceeding Rs 1 lakh in a year per topper, continuing till completion of the degree or graduation in any stream.

Payment is made through DBT from 2021-22 after approval from higher authority.

Who is eligible for the CBSE meritorious incentive?

You can be considered if:

• You are the top meritorious boy or top meritorious girl who stood first in the class 10 or class 12 CBSE annual examination.
• You are a Haryana domicile.
• The school institution from where the examination has been passed is situated in Haryana.
• You pursue your studies as a regular student after the qualifying examination.
• For class 10, you scored 92 per cent marks or more in English, Science and Technology, Mathematics, Social Sciences and the best one of the remaining subjects. Applications are called from such students through the head of the institution after the results are declared, and the top position is then determined from that pool.
• For class 12, you scored 90 per cent marks and above in English and the best four of the remaining subjects in Science (Medical and Non-Medical), Commerce or Humanities.

You are not eligible if:

• You are studying in a vocational course. The scheme states that students studying in vocational courses shall not be eligible for the class 12 component.
• You are a failed or compartment student, such students shall not be considered for this award in future.
• You are already drawing another scholarship or stipend from the state government or any other source. The award holder under this scheme is not eligible for any other scholarship or stipend.
• You do not hold a Haryana domicile, or you passed from a school situated outside Haryana.
• You stop studying as a regular student, for example by moving to correspondence or private mode.

Note one thing this scheme does not ask for: there is no income limit for these awards. A topper from a high-income family is as eligible as any other.

How is the topper selected?

• The incentive is made strictly on merit basis.
• If more than one student secures equal marks or percentage of marks, the award is given to all such students. There is no tie-break that excludes a co-topper.
• One boy and one girl are selected at state level for class 10, and one boy and one girl at state level for class 12.
• The scheme document adds that the regulation can be changed at any time at the discretion of the government.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Haryana meritorious incentive for CBSE toppers

1. Wait for the CBSE annual result to be declared. The scheme works by calling applications after the result, from students who cross the 92 per cent (class

10. or 90 per cent (class 12) threshold described above.

2. Approach the head of your institution. Applications are called from students through the head of the institution, so the school principal is the route into the scheme, not a direct postal application.
3. Register on the Har-Chhatravratti portal at harchhatravratti.highereduhry.ac.in using your Parivar Pehchan Patra (Family ID) and complete OTP verification on the linked mobile number.
4. Select "Haryana State Meritorious Incentives Scheme (CBSE)" from the Directorate of Higher Education list of schemes.
5. Fill the application with your board roll number, subject-wise marks, domicile details, details of the institution you have joined, the annual fee payable, and your bank account details.
6. Upload the documents: marksheet, domicile certificate, admission proof, fee receipt and the undertaking that you are not drawing any other scholarship.
7. Submit before the closing date and keep the application number. The 2025-26 window on the portal closed on 11 February 2026.
8. Renew each year by submitting the fresh fee receipt and proof of promotion, since the incentive continues till completion of graduation only while the student remains regular and does not fail.

Why do meritorious incentive claims fail?

• Marks below the calling threshold to 92 per cent in the specified class 10 subject combination, or 90 per cent in the class 12 combination.
• Not standing first at state level. Crossing the threshold gets your application called; the award goes to the toppers.
• Vocational stream enrolment, which the scheme excludes at class 12.
• Holding another scholarship, which disqualifies the award holder outright.
• Not continuing as a regular student, for example switching to private or correspondence mode.
• School situated outside Haryana, even where the student holds a Haryana domicile.
• Failure or compartment in a subsequent annual examination, which ends future consideration.
• Fee receipt not produced, which leaves the sanctioning authority with no basis to fix the amount, since the incentive equals the fee paid.

How to check status and raise a grievance

1. Log in to the Har-Chhatravratti portal and open the application status screen.
2. Note whether the application is pending at the institution, the university or the directorate stage.
3. For an institution-level hold, follow up with the head of the school or college who forwarded your application.
4. For directorate-level questions, contact the Directorate of Higher Education, Shiksha Sadan, Sector 5, Panchkula on 0172-2565530, or the help desk email published on the portal.
5. If a DBT credit fails, get your bank account Aadhaar-seeded and ask the institution to update the account details on the portal before the next release.

Points worth planning around

Three features of this scheme change how a family should plan.

First, because the incentive equals the fee actually paid, a topper who joins a high-fee institution draws more than one who joins a low-fee college, up to the Rs 1 lakh cap. Keep every fee receipt.

Second, because the award holder cannot combine it with any other scholarship or stipend from the state government or any other source, a topper who also qualifies for a merit scholarship or a category-based stipend has to choose. Work out which is worth more over the full course before accepting either.

Third, because failed and compartment students shall not be considered in future, the incentive rewards a clean run through graduation. A single compartment ends it.

Applications are free. No agent or middleman can charge a fee to place a name on the topper list, which is determined only by the CBSE result.