Reimbursement of Tuition Fees for Typewriting and Shorthand Courses for Children of Widows, Puducherry

What is the tuition fee reimbursement for typewriting and shorthand in Puducherry?

Reimbursement of Tuition Fees for Typewriting and Shorthand Courses for Children of Widows is a small, targeted scheme of the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Puducherry. The department introduced it to encourage the children of widows to pursue typewriting and shorthand courses and to facilitate reimbursement of the course fees.

The benefit is deliberately modest: Rs 50 per month as reimbursement of tuition fees, allowed for a maximum of ten months for a course, and for the first attempt only. The reimbursement is available for any two children of the widow. At the full ten months, the scheme is worth Rs 500 per course, per child.

The scheme reflects a specific employment pathway that remains alive in this part of India. Typewriting and shorthand certificates issued through the technical examination systems of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh continue to be recognised qualifications for clerical and stenographic posts, and private institutes preparing students for those examinations are common across Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam.

Who is eligible for the typewriting and shorthand fee reimbursement?

Conditions relating to the widow:

• She should be a citizen of India.
• She should be a native of the Union Territory of Puducherry by birth, or have continuously resided there for not less than five years.
• Her annual income should not exceed Rs 24,000.
• She should not be receiving assistance or a grant under any other scheme being implemented by the Social Welfare Department, Puducherry.

Conditions relating to the child:

• The child should be a student.
• The child should have passed or appeared for SSLC, matriculation or any other equivalent examination recognised by the Education Department, Puducherry.
• The child should be studying typewriting and/or shorthand.
• The child should be enrolled in an institute recognised by the Government of Tamil Nadu, Government of Kerala or Government of Andhra Pradesh for the purpose of technical examinations.
• Up to two dependent children of a widow are eligible.

You cannot apply, or are not eligible, if:

• The applicant is not a widow, or cannot produce the husband's death certificate.
• The annual income exceeds Rs 24,000. This is a much tighter ceiling than the Rs 75,000 used in the department's marriage allowance and pension schemes, and it is the condition that disqualifies most applicants.
• The claim is for a third child of the same widow.
• The claim is for a repeat attempt at the course. Only the first attempt is reimbursable.
• The institute is not recognised for technical examinations by the Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh governments.
• The child has not passed or appeared for SSLC or an equivalent examination.
• The widow is already drawing assistance under another Social Welfare Department scheme.
• The family has lived in the union territory for less than five years and the widow is not a native by birth.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the tuition fee reimbursement

1. Enrol the child in a typewriting or shorthand institute that is recognised for technical examinations by the Government of Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh, and obtain written proof of enrolment and the fee structure.
2. Obtain the income and residence certificates from the Revenue Department. The income certificate must show annual income within Rs 24,000.
3. Collect the application form from the office or sub-office of the Department of Women and Child Development during office hours, or download the prescribed form published under Application Forms for Women Development Schemes on wcd.py.gov.in.
4. Fill in all mandatory fields, paste a passport-size photograph where the form asks for one, and sign the declaration that no other Social Welfare Department assistance is being drawn.
5. Attach the enclosures; husband's death certificate, income certificate, residence certificate, the child's SSLC or matriculation mark sheet, proof of enrolment, the fee receipts available so far, and a bank passbook copy.
6. Submit the application at least 30 days before the proposed start of the course to the Deputy Director (Women Development) in Puducherry, the Child Development Project Officer in Karaikal, or the Welfare Officer in Mahe or Yanam.
7. Collect the acknowledgement with the date and time of submission.

Applications can also be filed online through the Puducherry e-District portal at edistrict.py.gov.in. Register a new membership, log in, select the scheme from the department-wise list under the Department of Women and Child Development, fill in the fields marked with a red asterisk, upload the scanned documents, tick the declaration and submit. Note the application number that is generated, which is also sent to your registered mobile number and email.

How the reimbursement is paid

Because this is a reimbursement rather than a scholarship, the fee is paid first and claimed afterwards. Keep every monthly receipt, since the entitlement is calculated at Rs 50 a month and capped at ten months. A course that runs longer than ten months is still reimbursed only for ten. The amount is credited to a bank account, not paid in cash.

How to check the status of your application

Applicants who filed online can use the Track Application page at edistrict.py.gov.in/User/TrackApplication.aspx with the application number. Offline applicants should follow up at the office where the form was submitted, quoting the acknowledgement date. The Deputy Director (Women Development) can be reached on 0413-2244782, and the department's main number is 0413-2242621.

Why claims are rejected

• Income above Rs 24,000. The ceiling here is strict and much lower than in the department's other widow schemes.
• The institute is not recognised for technical examinations by the Tamil Nadu, Kerala or Andhra Pradesh governments.
• Repeat attempt. Only the first attempt at a course qualifies.
• Third child claimed where two children have already been covered.
• No fee receipts, so there is nothing to reimburse against.
• The widow is drawing another Social Welfare Department benefit, which the scheme excludes.
• Filed after the course began rather than 30 days before it started.

Key dates and the course cycle

The important date is 30 days before the course starts. Typewriting and shorthand courses are typically organised in batches ahead of the technical examinations held by the neighbouring state boards, so plan the application around the institute's batch calendar. There is no annual application window announced by the department; applications are received through the year and processed against available funds.

Where to complain

• Puducherry: the Director, Department of Women and Child Development, Sithankudi, Puducherry — phone 0413-2244964; department office at PHB Building opposite the LIC Complex, New Saram, Puducherry, phone 0413-2242621, email wcd@py.gov.in.
• Karaikal: the Collector, Karaikal.
• Mahe and Yanam: the Regional Administrator concerned.
• CPGRAMS at pgportal.gov.in for a written grievance.

The form is issued free of cost, and no fee is payable to anyone for filing the claim.