NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TALENTED CHILDREN FROM RURAL AREAS FOR SECONDARY STAGE STUDY

This scheme has been in operation since 1971-72. The objective of the scheme is to provide opportunities to school students from rural areas to pursue secondary stage education. The number of scholarships allocated is communicated to the State Govts./UT Administration every year.

A student studying in a school in a community development block in class VI to VIII is eligible to compete for the scholarship. Category-wise distribution of 43,000 scholarships is as under:-

1	General Category	4 Scholarships per Community Development Block (4x 5000)	20,000
2	Children of Landless Labourers	2 scholarships per Community Development Block (2x 5000)	10,000
3.	Scheduled Castes Children	2 Scholarships per Community Development Block (2x 5000) and 1 additional scholarship per CDB having 20% or more SC population(1x 1500)	11,500
4	Scheduled Tribes Children	3 Scholarships per Tribal Community Development Block (3x 500)	1,500

Eligible students are required to appear in a two stage examination: First Stage: Examination is conducted by the State Govts/UT Administration. The number of selected students is generally ten times the number of scholarship to be offered.

Second-stage-The final examination is conducted at the National level by NCERT. The local unit set up in the State Institutes of Education in consultation with the national level unit in the NCERT, prepare the test papers and organise the examination throughout the States/UTs. The test consists of two papers of 1 1/2 hours each for testing the innate abilities of students. It is common to the entire State/UT. The final selection is made with the Community Development Block as the Unit and top students in each block are awarded scholarships.

Rs. 30 to 100 per month. The scholarship is paid to the scholar through institution. Scholarship commences from the month in which the admission is obtained in a School and is paid up to the month in which last examination of the secondary stage education is held. In the case of renewal in the succeeding year, scholarship is paid from the month following that for which the scholarship was paid during the previous academic year. The scholarship is renewed subject to good academic progress.

If the scholar does not make satisfactory progress, the scholarship is suspended.