The state department of higher education has, for the first time, said that scholarship will be paid to post-matric students only if they are enrolled in colleges accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). The norm is not applicable from 2018-19.
The decision was notified through a government resolution in October 2017 and the department has given time to colleges to prepare for its implementation in a phased manner.
In January, the state had to shut down the MahaDBT portal launched five months ago to disburse scholarship amounts directly into the accounts of beneficiaries.
In her letter dated February 16, joint director (Nagpur region) Anjali Rahatgaonkar writes about NAAC certificate has to be attached along with students’ scholarship application to be made offline.
She has asked students to applying for Rajashree Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Education.
Though the rule has been laid down for this specific scheme, the move is being seen as a step to ensure institutions, mainly unaided ones, adhere to UGC norms as far as infrastructure and faculty are concerned.