The NEC Merit Scholarship provides financial support to eligible students from North-Eastern States pursuing higher professional courses in India.
About Ministry Of Development Of North Eastern Region
Ministry Of Development Of North Eastern Region administers the Financial Support To The Students Of N.E.R For Higher Professional Courses, also known as the NEC Merit Scholarship.
The scheme is launched by the North Eastern Council (NEC) for students from the North-Eastern States pursuing studies in different disciplines and at different levels in recognised institutions within or outside the North-East but within India.
About the Opportunity
The NEC Merit Scholarship provides financial assistance to eligible students pursuing Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses.
The scholarship is available to students admitted to recognised institutions, with M.Phil. and Ph.D. scholarship eligibility commencing after registration with the University. The scholarship is disbursed through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Scholarship Amount
The annual scholarship rates are:
- Diploma: ₹20,000
- Degree: ₹22,000
- Postgraduate: ₹25,000
- M.Phil./Ph.D.: ₹30,000
Number of Scholarships
A total of 1,600 fresh scholarships are allocated annually across the North-Eastern States:
- Arunachal Pradesh: 209
- Assam: 320
- Manipur: 192
- Meghalaya: 192
- Mizoram: 192
- Nagaland: 192
- Tripura: 192
- Sikkim: 111
The allocation comprises 150 Diploma, 1,000 Degree, 400 Postgraduate and 50 M.Phil./Ph.D. scholarships.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant must be a permanent resident of any of the North-Eastern States.
- The applicant must be admitted to a Diploma, Degree or Postgraduate course, or registered in an M.Phil./Ph.D. course at an institution recognised by the Government.
- The annual income of the applicant’s parents or guardian from all sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000.
- Diploma applicants must have secured at least 60% aggregate marks in the HSLC, HSSLC, Secondary School Leaving or Senior Secondary Leaving Certificate examination from a recognised State or Central Board.
- Degree applicants must have secured at least 60% aggregate marks in the HSSLC or Senior Secondary Leaving Certificate examination from a recognised State or Central Board.
- Postgraduate applicants must have secured at least 60% aggregate marks in a recognised degree-level examination.
- M.Phil./Ph.D. applicants must have secured at least 60% aggregate marks in a postgraduate degree from a recognised University.
Exclusions
- Sponsored candidates under full employment and working or in-service candidates are not eligible.
- The scholarship is not available for internships or practical training.
- Renewal is not available where the beneficiary has changed their subject of study after availing the scholarship for the previous course.
- Renewal is not available where the beneficiary has changed their institution of study.
Selection Procedure
The merit lists are prepared from finally verified applications according to the scheme guidelines and the procedure prescribed on the National Scholarship Portal.
Selection is based purely on merit, with the merit list prepared according to marks obtained in the qualifying examination and the level-wise slots allocated to the respective States.
For M.Phil. and Ph.D. candidates, selection also considers the research topic or synopsis. The research must have direct, specific and current relevance to problems or issues relating to the North-Eastern Region.
The scholarship is disbursed directly by NEC into the selected students’ verified bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Renewal
Renewal of the scholarship is generally for one academic year at a time. Existing beneficiaries must submit a renewal application on the National Scholarship Portal every year during their course.
Students must upload their previous examination marksheet or pass certificate. M.Phil./Ph.D. students must submit their latest progress report from the research guide, countersigned by the Registrar of the institution.
For renewal, the beneficiary must pass the particular year or be promoted to the next semester or year. Students with additional backlogs or who are not promoted may become ineligible for further scholarship under the prescribed conditions.
Contact
Director (HRD&E), North Eastern Council Secretariat, Shillong – 793003
Phone: 0364-2522674
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Application Procedure
Interested students are required to apply through the National Scholarship Portal.
For new registration, applicants are required to complete the registration process, verify their mobile number through OTP and complete the applicable e-KYC process. An OTR reference number is generated after successful completion of the registration process.
Applicants can then log in to the National Scholarship Portal using their OTR number and password, complete the application form, upload the required documents and submit the application.
Students may save the application as a draft before final submission or select the final submission option once all required details have been completed.
The National Scholarship Portal provides the timelines for opening and closing of the application portal. Applications are verified first by the student’s institute and thereafter by the concerned State Higher Education Department or another nominated State Nodal Agency.
