Gujarat Government: Every year thousands of students expect government assistance for their education. But different scholarship schemes of different departments, complex processes and confusion of documents make them very upset. Many times eligible students are confused about which scheme is for them and how to apply. Understanding this problem, the Gujarat government has taken a commendable and revolutionary step, which can make the life of lakhs of students of the state easier.
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Gujarat Government: One portal, many schemes great facility for students
In the third report of the Gujarat Administrative Reforms Commission (GARC), it has been recommended to the state government that all scholarship schemes of various departments like education, tribal welfare and social justice should be integrated and a Gujarat Unified Scholarship Portal (GUSP) should be prepared for that. The objective of this portal is to provide a simple, transparent and digital medium to the students, from where they can apply in the schemes according to their need and eligibility.
Gujarat Government: Why is this change necessary
According to the GARC report, the existing ‘departmental system’ has made the eligibility criteria, documentation processes and distribution system so complicated that many times the schemes clash with each other or do not reach the needy student. Due to the difference in the rules of different departments and the complexity of the process, students are not able to get the benefits of the scheme on time.
Gujarat Government: What will be special for the students
Mukesh Kumar, Principal Secretary of Gujarat Education Department, informed that the process of building an integrated scholarship portal has started. This portal will give a unique ID to each student through a Child Tracking System (CTS), which will make it easy to track the scholarship status of the students and get updates. Also, this portal will make the entire process from application to distribution transparent, simple and digitally available to the students.
Gujarat Government: Which schemes will be added to this portal
Many schemes are being run in the state under the Education, Tribal Development and Social Justice departments. Such as:
Tribal Development Department Pre-matric and post-matric scholarships with 75% share of the Central Government, hostel assistance for SEBC students, Merit-cum-Means Scheme etc.[Related-Posts]
Education Department – ’Mukhyamantri Yuva Swavalamban Yojana’ (MYSY) for general category students, which is based on income and merit.
Social Justice and Empowerment Department – Many schemes like assistance for medical and engineering students, loan facility for studying abroad, commercial pilot training, scholarships for MPhil and PhD, tuition assistance for 11th-12th students studying science subjects.
Gujarat Government: Now students will get accurate and fast benefits
GARC has also given the example of the success of digital identity and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) model in scholarship schemes in other states of the country like Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Kerala. The Gujarat government is now moving in the same direction. This will stop duplication in scholarships, prevent ineligibility and the right student will get timely assistance.
This initiative of the Gujarat government has brought a new hope for the students. This portal can prove to be a milestone in removing the financial obstacles in the way of education. It will not only increase the confidence of the students but will also strengthen the reach of the government schemes.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available government information and media reports. For detailed information related to the schemes, it would be advisable to contact the concerned government website or department.
