AICTE Central Scholarship Schemes 

🏛️ AICTE Central Scholarship Schemes

These specialized national scholarship schemes are administered directly by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to encourage, support, and empower specific categories of students pursuing degree or diploma technical courses.

1️⃣ AICTE – Swanath Scholarship Scheme

🎯 Objective of the Scheme

The Swanath Scholarship Scheme provides vital financial encouragement and institutional backing to orphans, children who lost both parents due to Covid-19, and wards of martyred Armed Forces or Central Paramilitary Personnel (Shaheed). This specialized initiative ensures that vulnerable children have an equal opportunity to pursue professional education in AICTE-approved courses and build a successful technical future.

📋 Eligibility Criteria

To apply for this national scheme, a candidate must strictly satisfy all the following requirements:

• Category Status: The student must belong to one of these specific groups:

  • Orphan (both parents deceased).

  • Child whose parents both died due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Ward of Armed Forces or Central Paramilitary Forces martyred in action (Shaheed).

  • Child of a parent currently suffering from a critical life-threatening disease (e.g., Cancer) OR a parent who died or was severely disabled (above 80%) in an accident (as per RPwD Act 2016).

• Income Threshold: Total family income from all sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight Lakhs) per annum during the application's financial year.

• Academic Mode: The candidate must currently be pursuing a regular Degree or Diploma level technical course ($1^{\text{st}}, 2^{\text{nd}}, 3^{\text{rd}}, \text{or } 4^{\text{th}}$ year) inside an AICTE-approved institution.

• No Double Benefits: The candidate must not be a recipient of any other central, state, or AICTE-sponsored scholarship scheme.

💰 Amount & Number of Scholarships

• Available Slots: A maximum of 2,000 scholarships are awarded annually nationwide (1,000 for Degree level and 1,000 for Diploma level students).

• Financial Award: ₹50,000/- per annum paid as a lump-sum amount per year of study.

  • Maximum Duration: 4 years for 1st-year admitted Degree students, and 3 years for Diploma students.

  • Note: For students applying in their $2^{\text{nd}}, 3^{\text{rd}}, \text{or } 4^{\text{th}}$ year of study, the award duration is proportionately reduced to the remaining years of the program. The amount covers college fees, stationery, books, computers, software, or equipment; no additional grants are given for hostel or medical expenses.

📂 Required Documents to Upload (National Scholarship Portal)

• 📜 Category Documentation:

  • For Orphans: Death Certificates of both parents OR an official certificate issued by a Tehsildar/SDM as per the official AICTE template format.

  • For Covid-19 Wards: Death certificates of parents explicitly stating the cause of death was due to Covid-19.

  • For Wards of Martyrs: Official Shaheed Certificate issued by the Armed Forces or Central Paramilitary Forces along with the corresponding death certificate.

• 🏫 Academic & Institutional Proofs:

  • Official Bonafide Certificate issued by the current host institution.

  • Std. $10^{\text{th}}$ and $12^{\text{th}}$ / equivalent mark sheets (for Degree Level applicants).

  • Std. $10^{\text{th}}$ / equivalent mark sheet (for Diploma Level applicants).

• 💸 Financial & Identity Proofs:

  • A valid Income Certificate issued by the respective State/UT Competent Authority (stating family income is under 8 Lakhs).

  • Category Certificate (SC / ST / OBC-NCL) where applicable.

  • Aadhaar Number (Mandatory field requirement).

2️⃣ AICTE – Saksham Scholarship Scheme (Specially-Abled Students)

🎯 Objective of the Scheme

The Saksham Scholarship is a Ministry of Education initiative implemented by AICTE to provide encouragement and financial leverage to specially-abled children. The core mission is to empower young, capable students with physical challenges to achieve high-quality technical education and master advanced knowledge to prepare for a successful future career.

📋 Eligibility Criteria

• Academic Enrollment: The candidate must be admitted to either the First year of a Degree level course OR the Second year via designated lateral entry pathways in an AICTE-approved institution.

• Disability Parameter: The student must be specially-abled, possessing a certified disability level of not less than 40%.

• Income Threshold: The total parental/family income from all sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight Lakhs) per annum during the current financial year. A valid state-issued income certificate is mandatory.

• Academic Gap: The maximum permissible gap between passing the qualifying examination and taking professional admission in the degree course is strictly capped at two years.

💰 Total Allocations & Financial Support

• Number of Scholarships: All eligible specially-abled students who get admitted and verify their parameters across AICTE institutions will receive the scholarship; there is no restrictive numeric cap.

• Financial Assistance: ₹50,000/- per annum given as an all-inclusive annual lump sum. This covers institutional tuition fees, computer hardware systems, software configurations, stationeries, textbooks, or specific learning equipment. No individual bills are required to be submitted to claim this amount.

3️⃣ AICTE – Pragati Scholarship Scheme (Girl Students)

🎯 Objective of the Scheme

The Pragati Scholarship is an AICTE initiative focused on providing definitive economic assistance for the advancement and socio-economic empowerment of women in technical education. By alleviating family financial burdens, it equips young women with the specialized technical knowledge, core skill sets, and professional confidence required to contribute heavily to modern societal development.

📋 Eligibility Criteria

• Target Gender & Caps: Exclusively open to girl candidates, with a strict limitation of a maximum of two girl children per family being eligible.

• Admission Mapping: Candidates must be enrolled in the First year of a technical Degree level course OR the Second year via official lateral entry rules in an AICTE-approved institution.

• Income Constraints: Total annual family income from all combined sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000/- (Rupees Eight Lakhs) during the current financial year.

• Timeline Limits: The maximum academic gap allowed between passing the qualifying exam ($10+2$ or equivalent) and starting the current degree program is two years.

💰 Numeric Distribution & Scale of Award

• Total Seat Earmarks: A baseline of 5,000 scholarships are awarded globally every single year for Degree course domains across India.

• Gujarat State Quota: The designated allotment explicitly reserves a quota of 219 scholarships specifically for eligible students in Gujarat.

• Financial Package: ₹50,000/- per annum credited directly via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) modes as a comprehensive lump sum towards standard tuition fees, computer purchases, books, and stationeries.

🌐 Universal AICTE Application Procedure & Renewal Rules

(Applies equally to Swanath, Saksham, and Pragati schemes)

• How to Apply: Eligible students must apply entirely online through the central National Scholarship Portal (NSP) once the yearly registration cycles open.

• Scrutiny Workflow:

  1. First level screening and application checks are performed by the candidate's Host Institution.

  2. Second level structural scrutiny is processed online by the respective State Directorate of Technical Education (DTE).

• Strict Renewal Policies: To receive the scholarship in subsequent academic years, students must apply for a renewal via the NSP portal by uploading a formal promotion certificate and a fresh bonafide certificate signed by the Head of the Institution. Failing to get promoted to the next semester/class or failing to register on time results in the permanent forfeiture of the scholarship.