**Executive Summary:**
The Ministry of Education addresses a question regarding scholarships for female students pursuing graduation after intermediate examination, highlighting various scholarship schemes available through different ministries and departments. It emphasizes the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PMUSP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS) and the newly launched PM Vidyalaxmi scheme, focusing on financial assistance through education loans and interest subventions. Government Degree College, Bagaha, Bihar is noted to be inactive on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) due to non-registration.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Scholarship Schemes:**
* The Government implements various scholarship schemes for financial assistance to all categories of students, including female students enrolled in graduation courses.
* Details of these schemes are available on the websites of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Department of Higher Education, University Grants Commission, All India Council for Technical Education, and Department of Science and Technology.
* **PMUSP CSSS:**
* The Department of Higher Education (DHE) implements the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PMUSP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS).
* 82,000 fresh scholarship slots are available each year under PMUSP CSSS, with 50% earmarked for girl students.
* Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must register their Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Head of Institution (HOI) on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) through electronic KYC (eKYC) and biometric authentication.
* Government Degree College, Bagaha, West Champaran, Bihar, has not completed this registration and is inactive on the NSP.
* From 2020-21 to 2024-25, 3,596 girl students from higher education institutions in West Champaran district of Bihar and 60,756 from higher education institutions of Bihar have benefitted from PMUSP CSSS.
* **PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme:**
* The PM Vidyalaxmi scheme was launched on November 6, 2024, to ensure no student is denied higher education due to financial constraints.
* It provides collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans to students with merit-based admissions in top Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs), with no upper limit.
* For students with annual family income up to 8 lakh, the scheme provides 3% interest subvention on education loans up to 10 lakhs.
* Up to one lakh fresh students not getting any other scholarship or interest subvention on education loan will get this interest subvention.
* A dedicated online platform, the PM Vidyalaxmi portal, has been operating since February 25, 2025.
* From February 25, 2025, to August 7, 2025, 48 students from West Champaran district applied for PM Vidyalaxmi education loans, with 20 loans sanctioned totaling 2.1 crore.
**Impact Analysis:**
* **Girl Students:**
* *Impact:* Access to various scholarship schemes and financial assistance for higher education.
* *Action Required:* Explore available scholarship schemes and apply through the relevant portals.
* **Higher Education Institutions (HEIs):**
* *Impact:* Required to register on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) to validate student applications.
* *Action Required:* Register Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Head of Institution (HOI) on the NSP through electronic KYC (eKYC) and biometric authentication.
* **Government Degree College, Bagaha, Bihar:**
* *Impact:* Currently inactive on the NSP, preventing students from accessing scholarship benefits.
* *Action Required:* Immediately register the Institute Nodal Officer (INO) and Head of Institution (HOI) on the NSP through electronic KYC (eKYC) and biometric authentication.
* **Students seeking education loans:**
* *Impact:* Opportunity to access collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans and interest subventions under the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme.
* *Action Required:* Apply for education loans through the PM Vidyalaxmi portal.
Key Entities Referenced
National Scholarship Scheme: A Government of India scholarship program aimed at providing financial assistance to students.
Government Degree College, Bagaha, West Champaran, Bihar: A higher education institution located in West Champaran district, Bihar, that has not completed the necessary registration on the National Scholarship Portal.
Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PMUSP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS): A Central Sector Scheme providing scholarships for college and university students, with earmarked slots for girl students.
National Scholarship Portal (NSP): An online platform used for managing and processing scholarship applications, requiring registration of Higher Education Institutions.
PM Vidyalaxmi: A central sector scheme launched to provide collateral-free and guarantor-free education loans to students pursuing higher education in top Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs).
PM Vidyalaxmi portal: A dedicated online platform where students can apply for education loans and interest subventions under the PM Vidyalaxmi scheme.
Ministry of Education: The Government of India ministry responsible for education.
University Grants Commission: A statutory body established by the Indian Union government to coordinate, determine and maintain standards of higher education.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3650
ANSWERED ON 11/08/2025
SCHOLARSHIP TO GIRL STUDENTS FOR GRADUATION COURSE
†3650. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR:
Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government provides scholarship under the National Scholarship Scheme to the
girls who enrolled for graduation after passing Intermediate examination;
(b) if so, whether the girl students of Government Degree College Bagaha, Bihar and other colleges
are not receiving this scholarship; and
(c) if so, whether the Government proposes to include the said colleges to ensure the welfare of
poor children?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
(DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)
(a) to (c): The Government is implementing different scholarship schemes for providing
financial assistance in higher education to all categories of students including girl students enrolled
in graduation courses after passing the Intermediate examination, subject to extant scheme
guidelines. The details of these schemes including the criteria laid down for scholarship are
available in the following websites:
Sl. Ministry/ Department Website links
No.
1. Ministry of Social Justice & https://socialjustice.gov.in/scheme-cat
Empowerment
2. Ministry of Tribal Affairs https://tribal.nic.in/ScholarshiP.aspx
3. Ministry of Minority Affairs https://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/show_conte
nt.php?lang=1&level=2&ls_id=661&lid=823Sl. Ministry/ Department Website links
No.
4. Department of Higher Education https://www.education.gov.in/en/scholarships-
education-loan-0
5. University Grants Commission https://www.ugc.gov.in/Home/student_Corner
6. All India Council for Technical https://www.aicte-
Education india.org/bureaus/rifd/Scholarship-Schemes
7. Department of Science and https://dst.gov.in/inspire-scheme-innovation-
Technology science-pursuit-inspired-research
The Department of Higher Education (DHE) is implementing the Pradhan Mantri
Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and
University Students (CSSS), under which 82000 Fresh Scholarship slots are available each year.
50% scholarship slots are earmarked for the girl students.
Every Higher Education Institution (HEI) needs to register its Institute Nodal Officer (INO)
and the Head of Institution (HOI) on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) through electronic
KYC (eKYC) and biometric authentication, which is necessary to validate students’ applications
of the college. However, as per information received from the NSP, this has not been done by
Government Degree College, Bagaha, West Champaran, Bihar (AISHE Code: C-65394). As a
result, the institute is not active on the NSP.
The number of girl student beneficiaries of the PM-USP CSSS from the higher educational
institutions of West Champaran district of Bihar over the last Five Academic Years from 2020-21
to 2024-25 is 3,596. The number of girl student beneficiaries of the PM-USP CSSS from the higher
educational institutions of Bihar over the last Five Academic Years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 is
60,756.
Further, the PM Vidyalaxmi, a new central sector scheme has been launched on 6th
November 2024. The main objective of the scheme is to ensure that no student is denied the
opportunity to pursue higher education due to financial constraints. Under the scheme, collateral-
free and guarantor-free education loan is provided to all the students who get merit-based
admission in top Quality Higher Education Institutions (QHEIs) and who desire to avail the
education loan and there is no upper limit for this. Further, for students with annual family income
up to ₹ 8 lakh, the scheme provides 3% interest subvention on education loans up to ₹ 10 lakhs.
Up to one lakh fresh students not getting any other scholarship or interest subvention on education
loan will get this interest subvention. A dedicated online platform, the PM Vidyalaxmi portal
https://pmvidyalaxmi.co.in has been developed on which students can apply for the education loan
as well as interest subvention, through a simplified application process to be used by all banks.This portal has started operating from 25th February 2025. During 25th February 2025 to 7th August
2025, 48 students who reported their domicile as West Champaran district, have applied for the
PM Vidyalaxmi education loans. So far, 20 of those education loans have been sanctioned. Amount
sanctioned is ₹ 2.1 crore, which is for the full duration of the course.
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