DoSJE introduces Key Reforms and Digital Initiatives to Simplify Scholarship Access

The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment (DoSJE), Government of India, has undertaken major reforms and digital initiatives to improve accessibility and streamline scholarship processes for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Classes students.

In a key reform measure, the requirement for submission of Domicile Certificate for applying under the scholarship schemes has been dispensed with. This step is expected to reduce the compliance burden on students and simplify the application process, enabling easier access to benefits. This will also benefit thousands of eligible applicants across the country who study in institutions other than their States.

Under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs and OBCs, nearly 1.2 crore students receive scholarship benefits annually. Until now, domicile certificate was an essential requirement under these schemes. The removal of this requirement is expected to make the application process more student-friendly by reducing documentation requirements, lowering compliance costs, and facilitating easier access to scholarship benefits.

Further strengthening digital governance, the Department has launched SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment) on the UMANG platform as a comprehensive solution for scholarship-related services. The platform provides a single interface to the eligible applicants, Institutional Nodal Officers, District Nodal Officers and State officials for application registration, tracking, and validation of other services, improving transparency and efficiency.

These initiatives are aligned with the Government’s broader objective of promoting inclusion, reducing procedural barriers, and ensuring effective delivery of welfare schemes. The Department remains committed to leveraging technology-driven reforms to enhance outreach and provide timely support to students.