Pragati Scholarship Scheme for Girl Students (Technical Degree)

What is the Pragati Scholarship Scheme?

The Pragati Scholarship Scheme is a girl-student scholarship run by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Education. It is designed to support young women pursuing technical education, so that families do not hold back a daughter's engineering or technical studies for want of money. AICTE describes Pragati as a scheme to "provide assistance for advancement of girls participating in technical education."

According to AICTE, the Pragati Scholarship pays Rs 50,000 per year to each selected girl student, transferred directly to her bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). AICTE offers 10,000 scholarships each year to 5,000 for degree courses and 5,000 for diploma courses, distributed across states and union territories. The benefit is available to families with an annual income of up to Rs 8 lakh, and up to two girls per family may apply.

Key features

• Rs 50,000 per year per selected girl student, paid by DBT.
• 10,000 scholarships a year: 5,000 for degree, 5,000 for diploma.
• Family income ceiling of Rs 8 lakh per year.
• Up to two girls per family may apply.
• Covers AICTE-approved technical courses only.

Who is eligible for the Pragati Scholarship?

A girl student can apply if:

• She is admitted to the 1st year, or the 2nd year through lateral entry, of a technical degree or diploma programme in the current academic year.
• The institution is approved by AICTE, and admission is through the centralised admission process of the State or Central Government.
• The annual family income does not exceed Rs 8 lakh in the preceding financial year.
• She is among the two girls per family permitted to apply.

You cannot apply if:

• You are studying at an institution that is not approved by AICTE, or on a course outside the technical degree/diploma streams the scheme covers.
• Your family income is above Rs 8 lakh.
• You gained admission outside the centralised State/Central admission process where that process governs the seat.
• You would be the third girl in the family claiming the benefit.

Boys are not eligible — Pragati is exclusively for girl students. Girls in non-technical streams should look at other National Scholarship Portal schemes instead.

What documents are required for the Pragati Scholarship?

How to apply for the Pragati Scholarship

1. Register on the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in during the open application window for the year.
2. Log in and select the AICTE Pragati Scholarship Scheme for Girl Students under the Ministry of Education / AICTE.
3. Fill the application form with your personal, course, institution and bank details.
4. Upload the required documents, admission proof, income certificate, marksheets and bank details.
5. Submit the application and note the application ID. Your institution verifies it, after which AICTE processes the sanction and DBT.

Applications are usually invited once a year; the closing date (often around 31 October) is announced on the National Scholarship Portal, so check the current year's dates before applying.

How much does the Pragati Scholarship provide?

The Pragati Scholarship provides Rs 50,000 per year per selected student. The amount is meant to cover the tuition fee (or reimbursement up to the cap) along with the cost of books, instruments, stationery and other education expenses. It is paid directly into the student's own Aadhaar-seeded bank account through DBT, without any intermediary. Because up to two girls in a family can each receive Rs 50,000 a year, a household with two daughters in technical courses can receive up to Rs 1 lakh a year in support.

How selection works

AICTE distributes the 10,000 scholarships across states and union territories, and selection is based on the eligibility criteria and, where applications exceed the quota, on merit and family income within each category. The split of 5,000 degree and 5,000 diploma scholarships ensures that both polytechnic (diploma) students and engineering/technology (degree) students are supported. Verification runs through the applicant's institution and then AICTE, so keeping your documents accurate and consistent avoids rejection.

Help and where to verify details

• National Scholarship Portal helpdesk: 0120-6619540.
• Scheme guidelines are published by AICTE on aicte-india.org under student development schemes.

The scholarship amount, the number of awards and the income ceiling are set by AICTE and can change year to year; the figures above reflect the AICTE Pragati guidelines at the time of fact-checking. Confirm the current year's terms and deadlines on the National Scholarship Portal and the AICTE website before applying.