Shreshtam Scheme

What is the Shreshtam scheme?

Shreshtam is a scheme of the Social Justice Department, Government of Kerala, that supports persons with disabilities who have shown special talent and expertise in arts and sporting activities. The official title on the department portal is "Shreshtam scheme for ensuring participation of PwDs in Arts & Sports", and the name is also written in some department documents as "Sreshtam".

One clarification belongs at the top, because it costs applicants time. Shreshtam is not a marriage assistance scheme. Several third-party scheme aggregator sites describe it that way, and that description is wrong. The Kerala Social Justice Department does run marriage assistance for persons with disabilities, but that is a separate scheme with separate criteria. Shreshtam is about arts and sport.

According to the Social Justice Department, Shreshtam rests on a legal obligation rather than on discretion. Chapter III, Section 16(1) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 mandates the States to ensure equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in sports and recreation activities equally along with others and without discrimination. The Social Justice Department, as the nodal agency entrusted with mainstreaming persons with disabilities in Kerala, devised Shreshtam as its comprehensive response to that mandate.

What the scheme is designed to do

• Ensure access, inclusion and effective participation of persons with disabilities in the fields of arts and sports.
• Enable promising talents to undergo specialised training at State or National Academies and Centres, so they can fine-tune their potential and competence level.
• Encourage and mainstream persons with disabilities to accomplish achievements and help them become self-sufficient.

That third objective is the reason the money follows training rather than following a win. Shreshtam is not a prize for a medal already earned. It is a contribution towards the cost of continuing to train seriously; coaching fees, equipment, instruments, travel to and residence at the academy, for an athlete or artist who has already proved at State or National level that the investment is justified.

How much does Shreshtam pay?

Shreshtam provides a maximum amount of Rs 10,000 to each beneficiary. The amount is provided to a total of 10 beneficiaries from each district.

Kerala has 14 districts, so the scheme reaches roughly 140 beneficiaries in a full cycle at that rate. This is a small, sharply targeted scheme, and the district cap is the practical constraint most applicants run into. An applicant can meet every published criterion and still not be selected in a year when more than 10 qualified applications come in from the district. Applying early in the financial year, and documenting the strength of the merit certificate and academy admission clearly, is what makes the difference when a district office has to rank applicants.

The assistance is released to the beneficiary's bank account, which is why the department asks for a true copy of the bank passbook as a supporting document.

Who is eligible for the Shreshtam scheme?

The Social Justice Department publishes four eligibility conditions, and they are cumulative, meeting three is not enough.

You can get Shreshtam if:

• Your annual family income is below Rs 1 lakh.
• You are a person with disability having 40 percent or more disability, certified by the competent Medical Board.
• You are undergoing training from a State or National Academy or Centre.
• You have showcased your talent in State or National level championships.
• You are a resident of Kerala and can apply through your District Social Justice Office.

You are not eligible and cannot apply if:

• Your annual family income is Rs 1 lakh or above. The published criterion is income below Rs 1 lakh, and no relaxation is stated.
• Your certified disability is below 40 percent. The 40 percent threshold is the standard benchmark disability level used across the Rights of Persons with Disabilities framework, and Shreshtam applies it strictly.
• You are not enrolled in training at a State or National Academy or Centre. Self-training, informal coaching, or training at a purely local club does not satisfy this condition, and the department asks for admission details from the Academy or Training Centre precisely to test it.
• You have competed only at district, school or club level. The criterion is participation in State or National level championships, and the merit certificate must evidence that.
• You are not a person with disability. Shreshtam is confined to the PwD target group; a non-disabled athlete or artist from a low-income family cannot apply under this scheme.
• You are not a resident of Kerala, since the application route runs through Kerala's District Social Justice Offices.

What documents are required for Shreshtam?

The department lists the supporting documents explicitly.

Two practical notes. The admission details should be on the academy's or centre's letterhead and should state that you are currently enrolled, with the period of training, a receipt for fees alone is weaker evidence. And the merit certificate should carry the level of the championship on its face; if it does not, ask the organising association for a covering letter that states the level.

How to apply for the Shreshtam scheme

1. Check all four eligibility conditions together; income below Rs 1 lakh, disability of 40 percent or more, current training at a State or National Academy or Centre, and participation in a State or National level championship. If any one fails, the application will not proceed.
2. Collect the Shreshtam application form. It is available in the Application Forms section of the Shreshtam scheme page on sjd.kerala.gov.in, and at your District Social Justice Office.
3. Read the revised guidelines first. The scheme page carries an internal order titled "SRESHTAM SCHEME - REVISED GUIDELINES - CIRCULAR REG", so confirm the current conditions and form before filling anything in.
4. Obtain a fresh income certificate from your Village Officer showing annual family income below Rs 1 lakh.
5. Get the admission details from your Academy or Training Centre, on letterhead, stating your current enrolment and the training period.
6. Assemble the merit certificate, disability certificate copy, ration card copy and a true copy of the bank passbook along with the completed form.
7. Submit the duly filled application form with all supporting documents through your concerned District Social Justice Office. The department states this as the application route for Shreshtam. It is an offline submission, not a Suneethi portal application.
8. Take an acknowledgement with a file reference and date, and keep it for every follow-up.

How do I check the status of a Shreshtam application?

Shreshtam does not have a dedicated online tracking screen, because selection is made at district level against the 10-beneficiary district cap. Check status this way:

1. Contact the District Social Justice Office where you submitted the application, quoting your acknowledgement reference, and ask both whether the file is complete and whether the district selection for the year has been finalised.
2. Ask specifically whether the district quota has been exhausted. This is a different outcome from a document deficiency and needs a different response from you.
3. Escalate to the Directorate of Social Justice on +91 471 2306040 or +91 471 2302887, or by email to swdkerala@gmail.com, if the district office cannot give you a clear position.
4. Check your bank account once the district office confirms sanction, since the assistance is credited directly.

Why Shreshtam applications get rejected, and how to fix each one

• No academy admission proof. The most common failure. Training with a personal coach or at a local club does not meet the criterion. Obtain written admission details from a State or National Academy or Centre.
• Merit certificate does not show the level of competition — get a covering letter from the organising association confirming that the championship was at State or National level.
• Income certificate at or above Rs 1 lakh. The criterion is strict. If the certificate is factually incorrect, take it up with the Village Officer.
• Disability below 40 percent: reassessment by the Medical Board is the only route, and only if the assessment was genuinely understated.
• Bank passbook copy illegible, a very avoidable rejection. Ensure the account number, IFSC and name are all clearly readable on the copy.
• District quota filled, apply early in the next financial year, and keep your academy admission and championship documentation current.
• Applied under the wrong scheme: applicants seeking marriage assistance sometimes apply to Shreshtam because of the incorrect descriptions circulating online. Ask the District Social Justice Office for the correct marriage assistance scheme instead.

Where do I complain about Shreshtam?

• District Social Justice Officer, the first authority, and the office that handles both submission and selection.
• Directorate of Social Justice, Vikas Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram, +91 471 2306040, +91 471 2302887, swdkerala@gmail.com.
• Public Grievance Cell of the Social Justice Department, through the Grievance section of sjd.kerala.gov.in.
• State Commissionerate for Persons with Disabilities, Kerala, for grievances framed as a denial of rights under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
• Chief Minister's public grievance portal at cmo.kerala.gov.in.

Applying for Shreshtam is free. No agent can charge a fee for submitting your application to the District Social Justice Office, and no officer will ask you for money to include your name in the district list.