Students Enrolled in NAAC Accredited Institutes Eligible for Scholarship Scheme

The Higher Education Department of Maharashtra has informed students that the post-matric scholarships would be provided to only those students who enrolled or joined in colleges accredited by NAAC. The new rule will come into effect from the academic session 2018-19. Therefore, it is mandatory for students to check the NAAC grade/ rating/ accreditation status of the institute before taking admission. Students enrolled during the academic session 2017-18 need not panic as the new rule is not applicable to them.

Also Read: Mumbai University Yet to Receive NAAC Accreditation

The state higher education department notified the new rule through a resolution passed in October 2017. However, it was not implemented, as the academic session had begun in most colleges.

In January 2018, the state government had closed the official scholarship portal, i.e., MahaDBT. The portal was launched in 2017 to disburse scholarship amount directly into the accounts of beneficiaries. During the technical issues, the state education department had no other option except to shut down the online portal of MahaDBT. Proper scrutiny of applications and NAAC status of colleges will be conducted even though the application process is offline or manual.

The education department had directed the colleges to follow the old system of applying for scholarship scheme in offline mode. Now, all the colleges will have to follow the manual process of applying for the scholarship.

Also Read: Universities with Top NAAC Score can Offer Online Degree Courses

On February 16, 2018, the education department notified guidelines stating that NAAC certificate of the institute must be attached to the scholarship application form of the student. Under the new rule, students will become more aware of NAAC status granted to their respective colleges.