Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship is provided by the West Bengal government to assist the bright and meritorious students from economically backward families. Poor students who are in their higher secondary sections in school or pursuing a degree in polytechnic, undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate level degree are encouraged to apply for this Scholarship. The students who have obtained their Kanyashree (K-2) certification are also eligible to apply for this scholarship. This scheme is exclusively provided to students who are from West Bengal. The Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship was thoroughly revamped in 2016 which increased the number of scholarships which will be provided as well as the amount which is offered.

Eligibility Criteria

There are two eligibility criteria set for the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship, overall and a separate set of criteria for each course the student is pursuing. To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, the interested candidates must satisfy the following overall eligibility criteria set for the scholarship:

• The applicant must be residing in West Bengal for a long stretch of time.
• The overall income of the family should not exceed a total of ₹250000.
• The candidate must be pursuing his/her education in the state of West Bengal only.
• Should be pursuing education from a recognised institution, school, college or university.

Besides the overall eligibility criteria, the criteria set for each course the student is pursuing is as follows:

How to Apply for Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

If the interested candidate matches the eligibility criteria set for them. The applications can be applied only through online means through the website’s homepage, no hard copies of the applications will be accepted under any circumstances for this scholarship. He/she have to follow the procedure given below to successfully register for the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship:

1. For a first time applicant, the candidate has to visit the homepage provided in the link.
2. Click on the REGISTRATION button present on the top right corner of the screen.
3. Read all the details provided in the registration screen and click on the Proceed for the registration button.
4. Click on the respective category you would like to apply and proceed with the registration process.
5. Provide necessary information in all the required fields.
6. Upload soft copies of all the necessary documents. List of documents necessary is provided below.
7. Applicants applying under the Kanyashree (K3) category need to provide additional verification procedure.
8. After successful registration of your application. A 15 character application ID will be provided. Utilize the ID for identification as well as login purposes.
9. Login with the ID provided at the time of registration along with the password which should also have been created at the time of registration.
10. Upload all the required document in appropriate formats and file sizes.
11. After completing all the necessary procedure. Click on the SUBMIT button to apply for the scholarship.
12. Download the Verification certificate. Two copies are provided. One copy should be handed over to the Head of the Institution for their attestation and the other copy is that of the student. Both copies should be uploaded on the online scholarship portal to complete the scholarship process.
13. The head of the institution should keep their respective copies for later use.
14. The application process varies for the candidates who wish to renew their scholarship.

Documents Required

The scanned copies of the following documents should be provided at the time of registration. Cross check all the applications as any discrepancies found will lead to the cancellation of the scholarship. The information and documents once provided cannot be and will not be changed under any circumstance.

• Madhyamic examination mark sheet or it’s equivalent qualification (front side and back sided).
• Board or University examination mark sheet (front side and back sided).
• Family income certificate (not required for Kanyashree applicants).
• The affidavit of family income.
• Documents required for identification (Aadhar/Ration card/Voter ID etc.)
• The first page of the bank account passbook.
• Scanned copy of a recent passport size photo.
• Verification form of the College/ University signed by the respective Head of Institution.

All the document files should in the PDF format and should not exceed 400 KB. The passport size photo should be in JPG or JPEG format and should in the size range of 10-40 KB.

Selection Procedure of Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship

The candidates will be selected solely based upon the academic achievement and financial needs. The applications of the candidates are sorted in descending order and filtered according to the marks obtained and the income level of their families. The list is separate for each category. The shortlisted candidates are then sent the stipend money directly to their respective bank accounts. Any false information provided will lead to the cancellation of the scholarship and the candidates will be liable to provide the amount back.

Scholarship Amount & other benefits

The scholarship amount will be provided on the basis of the candidates level of education and the course the candidate is pursuing:

Terms and conditions

• Offline submission of the application and documents will not be entertained under any circumstances.
• The information and documents once provided will not be changed under any circumstances and any request for changes will not be entertained.
• Once selected for the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship, the students should not avail a scholarship from any other sources. One time rewards or grants are acceptable.
• Any student found violating of the above rule will immediately have his scholarship revoked.
• Any false information provided will lead to the immediate termination of the scholarship fund and the student will be asked to return the funds which are already provided.
• The scholarship amount is provided to students who are pursuing their education in West Bengal and under the institutions which are affiliated to the West Bengal state boards.
• Students withdrawing their educations under any non-viable circumstances will immediately have their scholarships revoked.