Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for the Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel

What is the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for wards of States/UTs Police Personnel?

The Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for the Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel is a welfare scholarship administered under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was introduced in the academic session 2019-20 to encourage higher technical and professional education among the dependent wards of state and union territory police personnel who were martyred during terror or Naxal attacks.

According to the scheme details, it pays Rs 2,500 per month to male students (up to Rs 30,000 a year) and Rs 3,000 per month to female students (up to Rs 36,000 a year), released through Direct Benefit Transfer into the student's own Aadhaar-seeded bank account. The scholarship is paid for the full duration of the approved course or up to five years, whichever is shorter.

The scheme is deliberately narrow. A total of 500 scholarships are awarded each year, divided equally between boys and girls at 250 each. It should not be confused with the larger PMSS for wards and widows of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles, which is a separate scheme, or with the Ministry of Railways scholarship for RPF/RPSF wards.

Who is eligible for this scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You are a dependent ward of a States/UTs police officer who was martyred during a terror or Naxal attack.
• You secured at least 60% marks in the qualifying examination; Class 12, a diploma or graduation, depending on the course.
• You are pursuing your first professional degree in an approved course such as Engineering, Medicine, Dental, Veterinary, B.Pharma, B.Sc (Nursing, Agriculture and similar), BBA, BCA, MBA or MCA.
• You have an Aadhaar-seeded bank account in your own name.

You cannot apply if:

• The parent died in circumstances other than a terror or Naxal attack, since the martyrdom condition is central to this scheme.
• You scored below 60% in the qualifying examination.
• You are pursuing a course not on the approved list, or a second degree rather than a first professional degree.
• You are a ward of CAPF, Assam Rifles or RPF/RPSF personnel — those families are covered by separate PMSS schemes, not this one.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the police wards scholarship

1. Visit the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in and register as a new applicant, or log in with your existing One-Time Registration (OTR).
2. Select the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for the Wards of States/UTs Police Personnel under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. Fill in your personal, educational, Aadhaar, contact and bank details, ensuring the bank account is Aadhaar-seeded.
4. Upload the martyrdom certificate, state government confirmation, qualifying marksheet, bonafide certificate, Aadhaar and bank passbook.
5. Review every entry carefully and submit the application before the annual deadline (typically 31 October).
6. Your claim is then verified by the institution and the competent State/UT and MHA authorities before the scholarship is sanctioned and paid by DBT.

How the scholarship is paid and renewed

The scholarship is credited directly to the student's bank account through DBT. It must be renewed each year on the portal, and continuation depends on the student progressing satisfactorily through the course. The maximum support period is five years, which covers most professional degree programmes.

Help and where to get it

• National Scholarship Portal helpline: 0120-6619540 (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
• Portal: scholarships.gov.in
• For questions about the martyrdom certificate or state confirmation, contact the concerned State/UT police welfare authority that issues it.

No agent can secure this scholarship for a fee. Every genuine application and renewal is processed on the National Scholarship Portal.