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If a parent of yours served in the Army, Navy or Air Force and you have just joined a professional degree, one central scholarship is meant for you. It is called the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS). Timing matters: only first-year students can apply, so it pays to find out about it early.
This guide covers who qualifies, how much it pays, and where to check this year's rules before you apply.
What is the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for ex-servicemen?
The PMSS gives scholarships for technical and postgraduate study to the widows and wards of deceased and ex-service personnel of the Armed Forces, according to the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW). The money comes from the National Defence Fund, which the Prime Minister's Office administers, and the Kendriya Sainik Board (KSB) manages the scheme.
Here are the key numbers from the DESW page:
5,500 scholarships are awarded each year, 2,750 for boys and 2,750 for girls.
Boys get Rs 2,500 a month and girls get Rs 3,000 a month, rates that have applied since FY 2019-20.
Eligible institutions include medical, dental, veterinary, engineering, MBA, MCA and similar technical colleges with AICTE or UGC approval.
The government's MyGov summary of the scheme adds that dependants of ex-Coast Guard personnel are covered too. It also says the scholarship runs for one to five years, depending on how long the course is, and is paid once a year.
Who is eligible for the PM scholarship for ex-servicemen wards?
The MyGov page lists these conditions:
You are a dependent ward, or the widow, of an ex-serviceman or ex-Coast Guard member who served below officer rank.
You scored at least 60% in your minimum educational qualification (Class 12, diploma or graduation, depending on the course).
You are in the first year of a first professional degree, such as BE, BTech, MBBS, BDS, BEd, BBA, BCA or BPharm.
The first-year rule is the one to watch. According to MyGov, students in second and later years are not eligible, so if you miss the first-year window you cannot apply later. The DESW page does not mention the rank condition, so confirm it in KSB's notice for your year.
The Home Affairs version has its own PMSS guidelines on the National Scholarship Portal-RevisedGuidelines_PMSS(MHA).pdf), so check which scheme fits your parent's service before you fill in any form.
Where do you apply, and how do you check the current rules?
The DESW page sends applicants to the Kendriya Sainik Board website to apply online, and says the money is paid by ECS into the selected student's bank account. KSB's notice for each year gives the dates, the approved courses and the documents it needs. Read that notice on the KSB site, not a copy on a coaching or news site, because old details stay online for years. The MyGov page, for example, still gives the older amounts of Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,250 a month, which DESW says were raised from FY 2019-20.
KSB's notice has the exact document list. Expect to need items like these:
Proof of your parent's ex-service status.
Your qualifying marksheet showing at least 60%.
Proof of your first-year admission.
Details of a bank account in your name.
Our scholarship documents checklist covers what usually goes wrong with scans and certificates. If the money is approved but doesn't arrive, fixing Aadhaar bank seeding is a good first thing to check.
A worked example: does Ananya qualify?
Ananya (not a real student) scored 78% in Class 12. Her father retired from the Army below officer rank, and she has just joined first-year BTech at an AICTE-approved college. Here is how she checks each condition:
Ward of an ex-serviceman below officer rank? Yes. Keep his service papers ready.
At least 60% in her qualifying exam? Yes, she has 78%.
First year of a first professional degree? Yes, BTech, first year.
Course on KSB's approved list for this year? Check the list on the KSB site before applying.
At the girls' rate of Rs 3,000 a month, that would come to Rs 36,000 for a full 12 months. MyGov says the money is paid once a year, so confirm the yearly amount on the official notice. Her cousin, now in second-year BTech, cannot apply for PMSS, so he should look at other schemes instead.
Our guide to spotting fake scholarship offers lists more signs to watch for.
What should you do after you apply?
Check the renewal conditions in KSB's notice so you know what you need each year to keep the scholarship. First-year physics and maths can be a big step up from Class 12. If one idea keeps tripping you up, the Fermi Concept Library has a lesson for every concept in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computing, each shown in its place on the concept map.
Your next step: open the KSB site this week, find this year's PMSS notice, and tick off the four checks above before the deadline.
