The Aikyashree scholarship, fully funded by the West Bengal State Government, provides financial support and covers educational expenses for deserving students.
Created by the West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation, it is one of the most significant programs that identifies talented students and supports them financially.
The West Bengal Minority Corporation (WBMDFC) is a government agency that assists underprivileged minorities. The West Bengal government controls it.
The West Bengal Act XVIII of 1995 led to the establishment of the WBMDFC, which was created in 1996 with the aim of providing financial assistance, scholarships, vocational training, public awareness campaigns, and career counseling for religious minority groups.
In order to give minority students in West Bengal (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains) additional socioeconomic benefits and educational opportunities, WBMDFC established the Scholarship Program.
Through the WBMDFC Scholarship Portal, students from class 1 through Ph.D. level can apply for a variety of WB government scholarship programs.
Categories of Aikyashree Scholarship
Students can apply for one of five government scholarship programs through the Aikyashree Scholarship Portal, which is run by the West Bengal Minorities Development and Finance Corporation.
West Bengal Pre- matric Scholarship
- These scholarships are open to Class 9 and Class 10 students.
- The selected students are eligible to receive scholarship funds ranging from Rs. 150 to Rs. 750 each month.
- The chosen students also receive an extra Ad hoc Reward of up to Rs. 1000 a year in addition to the scholarship money.
West Bengal Post-matric Scholarship
- This scholarship is sponsored by the Backward Classes Welfare Department in West Bengal.
- The scholarship program accepts applications from post-graduate and 11th to 12th-grade students.
- Students from the SC, ST, and OBC communities who are enrolled in post-matric or post-secondary education can benefit from this scholarship.
- The amount of the scholarship, which can be used by the selected students, starts at Rs.160 to Rs.1200 monthly.
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal
- The recipients of this scholarship are female students.
- The scholarship is only available to students from any West Bengal board who has passed 12th grade.
- This scholarship program is open to female students pursuing an undergraduate degree in Basic Science, Engineering, or Medicine at any West Bengali institution.
- The students chosen will receive Rs.3,000 monthly.
- In addition to the scholarship, the student will receive a book grant of Rs. 2000 each year.
- This scholarship is sponsored by Jagadis Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS), Kolkata.
Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)
- This scholarship is strictly based on merit.
- For this scholarship program, students can apply from Class 11 up to Ph.D. candidates.
- Depending on the program or degree of study, minority students may get financial assistance of up to Rs. 8000 per month.
- The scholarship fund is mostly distributed according to a student’s academic merit and financial need.
- It is Sponsored by the Government of West Bengal.
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal
- This scholarship is available to help and encourage students who are learning Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking countries like West Bengal.
- This fellowship is open to students enrolled in upper-division courses, undergraduate programs, postgraduate programs, and research-level courses (M.Phil., Ph.D., M.Lit., etc.).
- The selected students are eligible to receive a scholarship of between Rs. 300 and Rs. 1000 each month.
- Sponsored by the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology, and Biotechnology.
Eligibility Criteria
There are different eligibility criteria for the different types of Aikyashree scholarships. Students who are interested have to apply for scholarships related to their education level.
Listed below are the requirements for the different categories of scholarships.
West Bengal Pre-matric Scholarship (SC/ST Students)
- The student’s primary residence must be in West Bengal.
- He or she must be a ninth- or tenth-grader in any accredited school in West Bengal.
- The pupil must fall within the ST or SC classification.
- The student’s family’s annual income should not be more than Rs. 2 lakh.
West Bengal Post-matric Scholarship
- The student must possess permanent residence in West Bengal.
- The student must be categorized under either the SC or OBC category.
- Students enrolled in Class 11, Class 12, Graduation, or Post-Graduation are eligible to apply.
- The annual family income of the student should not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh for all categories of backward classes.
Bigyani Kanya Medha Britti Scholarship, West Bengal
- The student must be a resident of West Bengal.
- This student must be a girl.
- Candidates must have completed their 12th grade at any school and must be accredited by any board.
- Interested applicants must plan to pursue an education in the disciplines of engineering, medicine, or fundamental science at a reputable university in West Bengal.
Swami Vivekananda Merit cum Means Scholarship (SVMCM)
- The student must be a native of West Bengal.
- The student must be in Grade 11 or 12.
- If the student is not studying regular undergraduate or postgraduate level degree courses, they must be seeking graduation in engineering, medical, and technical/professional courses.
- If the student is taking a diploma or further secondary education, he or she must have achieved a minimum of 75% in the 10th class.
- If the student is studying at the undergraduate level, he or she must have scored at least 75% on the 12th-grade exam.
- The student’s family income should not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh.
- Scholarships will be granted to deserving students, according to merit-cum-means criteria.
Hindi Scholarship Scheme, West Bengal
- The student must be a resident of West Bengal.
- Interested applicants should belong to or reside in a non-Hindi-speaking state.
- The student must have passed any one of the following degree courses – Madhyamik, higher secondary, graduation, PG or any equivalent degree course
- The student must acquire a minimum of at least 60% marks in the qualifying exam, first trial, with Hindi as a compulsory subject.
Benefits of the Aikyashree Scholarship
When the West Bengal government initially launched the scholarship, it created a variety of opportunities.
There are an infinite number of scholarship programs available through the Bengal minority and financial firms, but the major goal of this award was to support students who are members of the minority and are qualified.
As a result, financial assistance is provided to students who wish to pursue a career. Besides that, there are other reasons for the scholarship initiative.
Among them are:
- Assists the poor and needy students to obtain loans for their studies.
- Empower society’s most vulnerable students.
- Help and comprehend the notion of financial stability.
- Provide training for a variety of courses.
- Give those who merit the scholarship an opportunity.
- Increase public awareness of the importance of education.
Conditions for Aikyashree Scholarship
There are several conditions to be met before you can qualify for this scholarship. These conditions differ from the eligibility requirements.
- At the time of application, the applicant must present a certificate of household income.
- The continuation of the scholarship for “renewal” applicants is based on obtaining 50% in the previous year’s test.
- Hostellers and day scholars will receive a maintenance scholarship.
- The yardstick for students’ attendance will be determined by the school’s competent authority.
- If a student breaches school discipline or any of the Scholarship’s terms and conditions, the scholarship will be revoked or canceled.
- Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Mode will be used to transfer courses/tuition fees and maintenance allowances directly to students’ bank accounts.
Documents required
Candidates who are qualified for the Aikyashree scholarship program must assemble the following papers, as they are required before applying for a new scholarship.
- Aadhar card of the Candidate
- Income certificate of candidates
- Account Details of Candidate
- Fee Receipt for the Current Year
- The Marksheet of the previous exam passed
- Photograph
- Residential certificate
- Minority Certificate
How to Apply
To continue with the Aikyashree application process, students must follow the below steps:
Step 1 – Student Registration
Visit the official website of the WBMDFC portal.
Click on New Registration and select the district of your institute.
Fill in your details correctly on the online registration form.
Ensure that you cross-check every piece of information. Once you are done with that click on Submit and Proceed button.
Step 2 – Scheme Eligibility
This page will be the scheme eligibility column.
Fill in all the details concerning the institution you are applying for and your preferred course of study.
It will also require details and test scores of your last exams, your family’s annual income, and your email ID.
Again,
review all the details carefully and click on the Submit & Proceed tab
Step 3 – Registration Completion
Once you have completed the previous steps, and you have submitted the details, a temporary User ID will be generated.
Login to the email you used during registration. Check the inbox as the User ID and password will be sent there.
Step 4 – Student’s Login
Login with the User ID and Password on the Student Log-In window
Fill in the following details on the application form and verify.
- Basic Information about yourself.
- All certified academic information from your other schools.
- Bank Account Information
You will be required to change your password for extra safety.
Review all submitted information, then click on Submit
Step 6 – Verification and PrintOut
Check the information you entered in the previous step carefully.
After double-checking the information supplied in the corresponding spaces, print a copy of the application form.
Submit the application form together with a photocopy of the bank passbook with the bank account number and IFSC code to the relevant institute.
Conclusion
The Aikyashree scholarships are created for minority students who have financial difficulties. The variety of monetary support, therefore, varies accordingly. The scholarship initially begins at INR 1100 and extends to INR 60,000.
This scheme comes under the government scholarship launched by West Bengal and the method of application will be online.
Based on the attendance and grades secured in their previous academic records, minority students will be eligible for a scholarship.
Only students belonging to minorities (Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Parsee) can apply for this scholarship.