Scholarship to 2 Years Pre-Service Student Teachers Undergoing the D.El.Ed Programme, Meghalaya

What is the D.El.Ed pre-service scholarship in Meghalaya?

Scholarship to 2 Years Pre-Service Student Teachers Undergoing the D.El.Ed Programme is a state scheme of the Education Department, Government of Meghalaya, run by the Directorate of Educational Research and Training (DERT), Shillong. The Directorate lists it first among the scholarships it operates, on its own scholarships page, ahead of the Primary and Upper Primary School Scholarship Examination, the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Examination and the National Talent Search Examination.

The scheme supports students taking the two-year Diploma in Elementary Education (D.El.Ed) at the state's District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs) and at CTTC Sohra. According to the Meghalaya state portal entry for the scheme, students undergoing the programme are given a scholarship for two years, that is in the first year and the second year. The scheme is recorded there as introduced on 1 January 2012, sponsored by the State, with 100 per cent funding and an age band of 18 to 27 years.

D.El.Ed is the professional qualification for elementary school teachers in India, and Meghalaya's DIETs deliver it as a pre-service programme. Seven DIETs operate in the state, Sohra, Thadlaskein, Nongpoh, Nongstoin, Tura, Resubelpara and Baghmara: one in each of the older districts, and DERT describes them as offering two-year pre-service and in-service training to elementary school teachers while acting as nodal agencies at the district level.

Why is there an entrance test?

Because the National Council for Teacher Education requires one. The state portal cites the NCTE notification of 1 December 2014, under which admission to a two-year D.El.Ed course is to be made on merit on the basis of marks in the qualifying examination and/or an entrance test, and NCTE letter No. 63-22/2016/NCTE/Legal/31872 dated 27 June 2016, which says the entrance test is to be one component of the selection procedure for pre-service student teachers. The stated purpose of the test is to identify candidates genuinely interested in a career in teaching, rather than admitting purely on Class XII marks.

DERT's notice for the 2026-28 session sets out the areas the test covers: general awareness; logical thinking, reasoning ability and mental ability; aptitude towards the teaching profession; a scholastic ability test across different subject areas; and general English or language.

Who is eligible for the D.El.Ed programme and the scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You have passed Class XII or an equivalent examination from a recognised Board or Council with at least 50 per cent marks.
• You fall within the 18 to 27 years age band recorded for the scheme on the Meghalaya state portal.
• You appear for the entrance test conducted by DERT and attend the counselling at your DIET.

Relaxation: candidates belonging to ST, SC, OBC and PwD categories get a 5 per cent relaxation in the qualifying marks, so the floor for them is 45 per cent.

You cannot apply if:

• Your Class XII aggregate is below 50 per cent, or below 45 per cent where the relaxation applies.
• You are outside the 18 to 27 age band published for the scheme.
• Your qualifying examination is from a Board or Council that is not recognised.
• You do not sit the entrance test. There is no direct-admission route to a DIET seat, and without admission there is no scholarship.

The scholarship is not a separate competition. It attaches to admission: once you are a pre-service student teacher on the two-year D.El.Ed programme at a DIET or CTTC Sohra, you are within the scheme's scope for both years.

How to apply for the D.El.Ed pre-service scholarship

1. Watch for the DERT admission notice for the academic session on megeducation.gov.in. DERT issues a general notice on the online application for admission to the two-year D.El.Ed programme and a separate notice for pre-service candidates.
2. Apply online at dert.megeducation.gov.in within the announced window. This is the Directorate's own online portal, built by the National Informatics Centre, and it also handles the Meghalaya Teacher Eligibility Test.
3. Download your admit card for the entrance test from megeducation.gov.in or dert.megeducation.gov.in during the window DERT specifies. For the 2026-28 session, admit cards were available from 24 June 2026 until 3 July 2026.
4. Appear for the entrance test at the centre assigned to you. The 2026-28 test was held on 3 July 2026 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon for DIET Sohra, Thadlaskein, Nongpoh, Nongstoin, Tura, Resubelpara and Baghmara.
5. Check the written test result and the counselling list. DERT publishes the result of the written test and separate lists of candidates eligible for counselling, DIET by DIET, on its notice board.
6. Attend counselling at your DIET, take admission, and submit your bank details so the scholarship can be credited during the programme.

How much does the scholarship pay?

The Education Department has not published the rate. The state portal entry confirms that students undergoing the programme are given a scholarship in the first year and the second year, but states no figure, and no rate notification for this scheme is available on megeducation.gov.in at the time of writing.

Ask the DIET where you are admitted, or DERT directly, for the sanctioned amount for your session. Do not plan around a figure quoted on a private scholarship website; this guide leaves the amount blank rather than repeating an unverified number.

How do I check my result and my scholarship?

• Entrance test result: DERT declares it on the notice board page of megeducation.gov.in, published centre-wise: Sohra, Nongstoin, Nongpoh, Thadlaskein, Tura, Resubelpara, Baghmara, Williamnagar, Ampati, Khliehriat, Mairang and Mawkyrwat have all appeared in past result notices.
• Counselling eligibility: DERT publishes separate lists of candidates eligible for counselling for each DIET.
• Scholarship credit: follow up with the DIET office, which maintains the student roll DERT pays against. Keep your bank passbook copy and admission records with the institute.

Why do candidates lose out, and how do you avoid it?

• Missing the online application window. The application is online only and the window is short. DERT has in the past opened a further window period when demand justified it, but do not count on that.
• Not downloading the admit card in time. The download window is dated at both ends. After it closes, the admit card is not reissued as a matter of course.
• Marks just below the cut. Forty-nine per cent in Class XII is a disqualification unless the 5 per cent relaxation applies to you, in which case the floor is 45 per cent — and that requires a valid caste or disability certificate at counselling.
• Skipping counselling. A pass in the written test is not admission. A candidate on the eligible list who does not appear at the DIET for counselling loses the seat, and with it the scholarship.
• Bank details not submitted or incorrect. The scholarship is disbursed to admitted students; an account in someone else's name or with a wrong IFSC delays the credit.

What are the key dates?

Dates are announced by DERT for each session, and the recent cycle shows the pattern: notices on the online application issued in May 2026 for the 2026-28 session, admit cards downloadable from 24 June 2026, entrance test on 3 July 2026 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 noon, followed by results, counselling lists and counselling at the DIETs. Watch the DERT notice board from around April each year.

Where do I complain?

Contact the Directorate of Educational Research and Training, Nongrimmaw, Laitumkhrah, Shillong 793011, published email dertmegh@gmail.com, for anything concerning the entrance test, counselling or the scholarship. For a problem inside a particular institute. A missing name on the student roll, or a scholarship not credited, raise it first with the Principal of your DIET, in writing. If neither responds, the Education Department office at Room 222, Ground Floor, Additional Secretariat, Shillong, phone 0364-2224201, is the next level of escalation.