Award of Post-Matric Scholarship to Scheduled Caste Students, Puducherry

What is the Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste students in Puducherry?

Award of Post-Matric Scholarship to Scheduled Caste Students is the main higher-education scholarship of the Adi Dravidar Welfare and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department, Government of Puducherry. The department states that the scheme "is being implemented for the benefit of students who are studying at Post-matric level or Post secondary stage so as to complete their education".

The support has two parts, in the department's own words: "Admissable fee fixed by Fee Committee. Reimbursement charged by the institution and award of maintenance allowance for hostlers or day scholars." In practice that means:

• Fee reimbursement at the rate the Fee Committee has fixed as admissible for the course, paid against what the institution actually charged.
• A maintenance allowance, awarded at different rates depending on whether the student lives in a hostel or is a day scholar.

The department does not publish the current maintenance allowance rates or the Fee Committee's admissible fee table on its scheme page, and those figures change by course group and year. Ask for the current rate card at the department office or check the Citizen's Charter before assuming an amount.

Post-matric level covers everything after matriculation, Plus One and Plus Two, diplomas, ITI courses, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and professional courses. The scheme sits within a wider set of Adi Dravidar Welfare student programmes that includes a pre-matric scholarship, a retention scholarship for SC girl students, opportunity cost paid to parents of SC girl students, an adhoc merit grant, the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Award, Dr. Ambedkar financial assistance for students in professional colleges, boys' and girls' hostels, and stipends for SC trainees in technical training institutions.

Who is eligible for the SC post-matric scholarship in Puducherry?

You can apply if:

• You are a Scheduled Caste student, with a caste certificate from the competent authority.
• You are studying at the post-matric level or the post-secondary stage.
• You are a native or resident of the Union Territory of Puducherry for not less than five years.
• Your annual family income does not exceed Rs 2,00,000.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• You are studying below the post-matric level. Students in school up to matriculation are covered by the department's pre-matric scholarship instead.
• Your annual family income exceeds Rs 2,00,000 on the certificate issued by the competent authority.
• You cannot produce a Scheduled Caste certificate issued by the competent authority in Puducherry.
• You have been resident in the union territory for less than five years and are not a native.
• You are not enrolled in a recognised institution, or cannot produce an admission and fee receipt for the current academic year.

Students from Scheduled Tribes and from Other Backward Classes are served by separate schemes; this particular award is framed for Scheduled Caste students.

What documents are required?

The department lists the enclosures as proof of identity; caste, income and residence-cum-nativity certificates issued by the competent authority; attested copies of qualifying certificates such as SSLC, Plus Two (HSc), degree and diploma for examinations passed; and copies of the bank account and Aadhaar card.

How to apply for the post-matric scholarship offline

1. Confirm your admission for the academic year and collect the fee receipt and admission letter from your institution.
2. Obtain the caste, income and residence-cum-nativity certificates from the competent authority. The income certificate must show annual income within Rs 2,00,000.
3. Collect the prescribed application form during office hours from the Adi Dravidar Welfare and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department at Kamaraj Salai, Thattanchavady, Puducherry 605009, or from the Karaikal or Yanam sub-office. The fresh post-matric scholarship form is also published as a PDF on adwelfare.py.gov.in.
4. Fill in all mandatory fields, paste a passport-size photograph signed across where required, and have the institution complete and attest the portion meant for it.
5. Attach self-attested copies of the identity proof, caste certificate, income certificate, residence-cum-nativity certificate, qualifying certificates, Aadhaar card and bank passbook.
6. Submit the form to the concerned authority at the department office or sub-office and collect an acknowledgement with the date and time of submission.

How to apply online through the e-District portal

1. Open edistrict.py.gov.in, the e-District portal of the Government of Puducherry.
2. Click Login at the top right, then Register a New Membership.
3. Complete registration with your username, password, full name, email address, address, gender, date of birth and mobile number; accept the declaration, enter the captcha and click Signup.
4. Log in with the username and password you created. The portal lists Puducherry government schemes department-wise.
5. Click the post-matric scholarship scheme under the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department to open the online application form.
6. Fill in every field marked with a red asterisk and upload the mandatory documents, self-attested where required.
7. Tick the declaration that the details are true and correct, submit the form, and note the application number. It is also sent to your registered mobile number and email address.

How to check your scholarship status

Use the Track Application page at edistrict.py.gov.in/User/TrackApplication.aspx and enter your application number. The e-District portal also publishes a user manual for the online application process. Students who applied on paper should follow up at the department office with their acknowledgement, and can also check the department's "Payment of scholarship" page on adwelfare.py.gov.in for disbursement notices.

Why scholarship applications get rejected

• Income certificate above Rs 2,00,000, or an income certificate that has lapsed and needs renewal for the current year.
• Caste certificate issued outside Puducherry, or in a name that does not match the school records.
• Residence-cum-nativity certificate missing, where the family moved to the union territory recently.
• Institution's portion of the form incomplete or unattested, so the fee claimed cannot be verified.
• Fee receipt not attached, leaving nothing to reimburse against.
• Bank account not in the student's name, or the account details entered wrongly, which causes the credit to fail.
• Applying for a course below post-matric level, which belongs to the pre-matric scheme.

Most of these are curable. Correct the document and resubmit within the same academic year rather than waiting for the next.

Key dates and the academic cycle

The department does not publish a fixed last date for this scholarship on its scheme page. Because the award is tied to an academic year and to fee reimbursement, the practical rule is to apply as soon as admission is confirmed and the fee receipt is in hand. Renewal applications for continuing students follow the same route as fresh applications, with the previous year's marks or certificate attached.

Where to raise a grievance

• Adi Dravidar Welfare and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department, Kamaraj Salai, Thattanchavady, Puducherry 605009 to phone 0413-2275681, 0413-2275682, 0413-2276375, email adwel.pon@nic.in.
• Karaikal sub-office, Kamarajar Administrative Complex — phone 04368-222517.
• Yanam sub-office, Civil Station: phone 0884-2324680.
• CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in for an escalation.

Application forms are issued free of cost and there is no charge for applying online. No agent's fee is payable for a scholarship sanction, and the money is credited only to the student's own bank account.