Merit Awards (Maharashtra)

What is the Merit Awards scheme in Maharashtra?

Merit Awards is a Maharashtra state scheme that recognises the highest-scoring students with disabilities in the state's board examinations. It is run by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The Divyang Kalyan Vibhag, which handles disability welfare for the Government of Maharashtra and publishes the scheme on divyangkalyan.maharashtra.gov.in.

According to that departmental page, awards are given to the students with disability who rank 1st, 2nd and 3rd among disabled students in the S.S.C. (Class 10) and H.S.C. (Class 12) examinations. The quantum of the award is Rs 1,000 in cash together with a certificate, and recipients are additionally compensated up to Rs 100 per student for the travel cost of collecting the award or attending the felicitation ceremony.

The scheme is funded entirely by the Government of Maharashtra, with no central share, and the department records that it was formalised in its current form through a government decision dated 13 September 2022, aligning it with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

What the scheme is and is not

• It is a one-time merit award tied to a board examination result, not a recurring scholarship or a maintenance allowance.
• It is rank-based and highly restricted: only the top three positions among disabled candidates in each of the two examinations qualify.
• The money is small; the certificate is the substance. A state-level merit certificate is a durable credential for admissions and job applications.

Students who want continuing financial support alongside this recognition should separately apply for the Post-Matric Scholarship for Persons with Disability, which Maharashtra runs on the MahaDBT portal.

Who is eligible for the Merit Awards scheme?

You can be considered if:

• You are a student with a disability falling in any of the 21 disability categories recognised under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, with a certificate from the competent medical authority.
• You appeared for the S.S.C. or H.S.C. examination conducted by the Maharashtra State Board.
• You stood 1st, 2nd or 3rd among students with disabilities in that examination.
• You are a student of Maharashtra, since the award is a state award.

You are not eligible if:

• You do not hold a disability certificate from the competent medical authority. A medical letter or a school note is not a substitute.
• Your rank is 4th or lower among disabled candidates. There is no consolation category — the scheme names exactly three positions per examination.
• You appeared for an examination other than SSC or HSC. A degree, diploma or Class 9 result does not qualify.
• You are not a student of Maharashtra.
• You are looking for regular monthly assistance. Merit Awards cannot be claimed as an ongoing benefit; it is paid once, against one result.

What documents are required for the Merit Awards scheme?

Keep originals available. The disability certificate and the marksheet are the two documents on which the entire claim rests.

How to apply for the Merit Awards scheme

Merit Awards is an offline scheme. There is no online application form published by the department.

1. Wait for the SSC or HSC result and confirm your position among students with disabilities. The school or junior college is usually the first to know whether a student is in contention.
2. Approach the District Social Welfare Office or the office of the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Social Welfare Department, and ask for the prescribed Merit Awards application form and for the current year's cut-off date. Because no fixed calendar date is published, this enquiry is the only reliable way to learn the deadline.
3. Fill in the form and attach the disability certificate, the marksheet, the institution's certificate and domicile proof.
4. Submit the complete application to the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Social Welfare Department, which is the office the department names for this scheme, and take a dated acknowledgement.
5. Ask your school or junior college to forward its confirmation of your examination result and disability status if the office requires it in the institution's own name.
6. Attend the felicitation when informed, and carry your travel tickets to claim the Rs 100 travel allowance.

How to check the status of a Merit Awards application

1. Take your dated acknowledgement to the office where you filed and ask for the position of the file with the Regional Deputy Commissioner, Social Welfare Department.
2. Ask the District Social Welfare Office whether the district's list of qualifying students has been forwarded for that examination year.
3. Ask your school or junior college, which is often informed of selected students before the individual notice reaches the household.

Why Merit Awards applications are rejected

• No valid disability certificate under the RPwD Act, 2016.
• Rank not established. The claim must be backed by the marksheet and the institution's confirmation; a self-claimed rank will not carry.
• Application filed after the year's cut-off, which the department announces after each result rather than on a fixed date.
• Wrong examination. A result other than SSC or HSC.
• Filed at the wrong office, delaying the file past the closing date.

Where to raise a grievance

• District Social Welfare Office of your district, for the form, the deadline and first-level follow-up.
• Regional Deputy Commissioner, Social Welfare Department, which receives and decides the applications.
• Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Maharashtra, at divyangkalyan.maharashtra.gov.in and depwd.maharashtra.gov.in.

The Merit Awards form is free and the award itself carries cash to the student. No payment should be made to any person or agent in connection with it.