Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship Scheme

What is the Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship Scheme?

The Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship Scheme is a girl-students' higher education scholarship delivered through the Department of Higher Education, Uttarakhand. According to the scheme description, it gives Rs 51,000 each to 50 girl students who are entering the first year of post-graduation in a government college in the state, with the aim of promoting higher education among women.

The scheme is named after the Rishi and Milan Khosla philanthropic initiative, which supports education for meritorious and underprivileged girls. In Uttarakhand it is delivered alongside the state's other higher-education scholarships so that eligible girls apply through the same official channel. The Higher Education Department's Samarth scholarship platform.

Because the scheme supports only 50 girls each cycle, it is a small, targeted award rather than an open entitlement. Selection is made among eligible first-year post-graduate girls, so applying early and completing verification matters.

Who is eligible for the scholarship?

A student can apply if:

• She is a girl student.
• She is a permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
• She is enrolled in the first year of a post-graduate course.
• She is studying in a government college in the state.

A student cannot apply if:

• They are a male student. The scheme is only for girls.
• She is not in the first year of post-graduation (for example, still in graduation or in the second PG year).
• She studies in a private college rather than a government institution.
• She is not a resident of Uttarakhand.

Because only 50 scholarships are available, meeting the eligibility bar does not guarantee selection; the award goes to eligible girls selected under the scheme. Scheme listings describe it as aimed at general-category first-year post-graduate girls, alongside the separate scholarships Uttarakhand runs for SC, ST and OBC students, so a girl from a reserved category should also check whether a category-specific scholarship on the same portal offers her more. Confirm the current-session category conditions on the Higher Education portal before applying, since the department can revise them each cycle.

Which portal do I use, and how does verification work?

The scholarship is delivered through the Uttarakhand Higher Education Department's Samarth scholarship platform, the same single window the state uses for its higher-education scholarships. A girl registers once, logs in, and then picks the Rishi and Milan Khosla scheme from the list of schemes she is eligible for. After she submits, the application does not go straight to the department, it first reaches her college, whose scholarship nodal officer verifies her enrolment, marksheet and domicile against the originals. Only a college-verified application moves forward for selection and sanction. This college-in-the-middle design is why a form can sit at "Submitted" for weeks: the delay is almost always at the verification step, not the department, and a quick visit to the college scholarship cell usually clears it.

Why does this scholarship exist?

The Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship exists to lower a specific barrier: the point at which a girl who has finished her graduation must decide whether to continue into post-graduation or stop. Fees, hostel costs, books and the loss of a year's potential earnings all press hardest at that transition, and families sometimes prioritise a son's further study over a daughter's. By putting a Rs 51,000 lump sum in the hands of a girl at the very start of her PG course, the Uttarakhand Higher Education Department aims to tip that decision towards continuing, and to keep more women in government post-graduate colleges. This is why the award is deliberately front-loaded to the first year rather than spread thinly across the degree. The money matters most at the moment of enrolment.

How much is the benefit?

The scheme gives a one-time scholarship of Rs 51,000 to each selected girl. It is credited by Direct Benefit Transfer into her Aadhaar-seeded bank account. There is no monthly component — it is a single lump sum tied to entering the first year of post-graduation.

What documents are required?

Carry originals plus a photocopy set. The college verifies the originals during processing.

How to apply for the scholarship

1. Open the Higher Education scholarship portal at he.uk.gov.in/scholarship-portal/, which links to the Samarth system.
2. Register as a new student and log in.
3. Select the Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship scheme from the list of available scholarships.
4. Fill the form with your college, course, year and bank details.
5. Upload the graduation marksheet, PG enrolment proof, domicile certificate, Aadhaar and passbook.
6. Submit the application so your college can verify it.
7. Save the application number and follow up until the college forwards it.

If your college coordinates the scheme directly, you can also submit the same documents to your college scholarship cell and ask them to forward your name. For hands-on help, the nearest Common Service Centre (CSC) can assist with the online form.

How to check your application status

1. Log in to the Samarth scholarship portal.
2. Open your application dashboard to see whether it is Submitted, Verified by the college, or Approved.
3. After approval, the Rs 51,000 is credited by DBT: check your bank account and the portal's payment status.

Verification is done at the college level, so a status stuck at "Submitted" usually needs a nudge to your college scholarship nodal officer.

When should I apply?

No single statewide last date is published for this scholarship, the Higher Education Department opens its scholarship portal for a window each academic session, and the Rishi and Milan Khosla scheme follows that calendar. Because the award is tied to the first year of post-graduation, the natural time to apply is right after taking admission to a government PG course, once the enrolment or bonafide certificate is available. A girl who waits until the second year loses eligibility altogether, so the safest approach is to register on the portal early in the session, watch for the scheme to appear in her eligible list, and complete the form well before the window closes. With only 50 awards, an early, fully-verified application is stronger than a late one.

Common reasons applications are rejected

• Not a first-year PG student, the scheme is specifically for the first year of post-graduation.
• Private-college enrolment; only government colleges qualify.
• Selection limit reached, with only 50 awards, some eligible applicants may not be selected in a given cycle.
• Bank account not Aadhaar-seeded, which blocks the DBT credit.
• Incomplete documents, especially the PG enrolment/bonafide certificate.

Where to get help

For questions on the Rishi and Milan Khosla Scholarship, contact the Directorate of Higher Education, Uttarakhand at 05946-240555 or through he.uk.gov.in, and use your college scholarship cell for verification issues. Confirm the current-session eligibility and selection process on the official portal before applying, as the number of awards is fixed and the scholarship is applied for through the department's standard channel.