No Domicile Certificate Required for SC, OBC Scholarship Applicants, Says Centre

New Delhi: In a major relief for students, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has removed the requirement of submitting a domicile certificate while applying for scholarship schemes meant for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) students.

The move is part of a broader set of reforms and digital initiatives introduced by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to make scholarship schemes more accessible and simplify the application process for beneficiaries.

According to an official statement issued on Friday, eliminating the domicile certificate requirement will reduce paperwork and compliance burdens for students. The change is expected to make it easier for eligible candidates, particularly those studying outside their home states, to access scholarship benefits without facing additional documentation hurdles.

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The ministry noted that around 1.2 crore students receive assistance every year under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SC and OBC students. Until now, a domicile certificate was a mandatory document for applicants under these programmes.

Officials said the decision would make the scholarship application process more student-friendly by lowering documentation requirements, reducing costs associated with obtaining certificates, and ensuring smoother access to financial support.

As part of its push towards digital governance, the department has also launched **SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment)** on the UMANG platform. The new system serves as a single-window platform for scholarship-related services, enabling students, Institutional Nodal Officers, District Nodal Officers, and state officials to register applications, track progress, and complete verification processes.

The ministry said these reforms are aimed at promoting inclusion, cutting procedural barriers, and improving the delivery of welfare schemes. It reiterated its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance transparency, expand outreach, and provide timely support to students across the country.
 

With inputs from IANS