Scholarship for Diaspora Children

1. INTRODUCTION

Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India introduced “Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) in the academic year 2006-2007 for the children of Persons of  Indian  Origin  (PIOs)/ children of Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs)  and  Non-Resident  Indians  (NRIs), to assist them in pursuing Under Graduate courses in Indian Universities/Institutes and promote India as a center of higher studies. The SPDC was extended to the Children of Indian Workers in 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen) in 2015-16.

Under SPDC, financial assistance for under-graduation in India for specific Professional and Non-Professional courses (except Medical and related courses) as listed in Appendix-C, is provided towards tuition fee, admission fee, and post-admission services. Only fresh year students (01st  year) students shall be eligible to grant the scholarship under SPDC.

The scheme is applicable to NRIs, PIOs/OCIs, and Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries living in 69 selected countries as listed in Appendix-A.


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2. NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS

Every year scholarship is provided to 150 selected students, without earmarking NRIs, PIOs, and Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries under SPDC.  Out of these  150  scholarships, 50  are earmarked for  PIOs/OCIs, 50 are earmarked for NRIs, and 50 are earmarked for Children of  Indian  Workers in the 17 ECR  countries subject to fulfilling eligibility criteria.  Out of the 50 scholarships reserved for children of Indian Workers in ECR countries, around 1/3rd (17) is reserved for children of Indian Workers in ECR countries who are pursuing studies in  India,  subject to fulfilling eligibility conditions.  If the seats are not filled up in any of the categories, they shall be made available to applicants from other categories under SPDC.

3. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

(i) Category. SPDC is awarded to the following four categories:

(a) Children of PIOs/OCIs.
(b) Children of NRIs.
(c) Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries studied outside India.
(d) Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries studied in India.   

Definitions about these four categories are given below:

(a) Person of Indian Origin (PIO)/ Overseas Citizen of India (OCI): "Persons of Indian Origin" (PIOs) shall mean the Persons who are citizens of other countries (except Pakistan and Bangladesh) who at any time held an Indian Passport, or who or either of his/her parent or any of his/her grandparent was a citizen of India by virtue of provisions of the Constitution of India or Section 2 (B) of Citizenship Act, 1955 (Act No. 57 of 1955). Applicants are required to provide documentary evidence towards proof of Indian nationality or Indian origin. Persons of India Origin (PIOs) applicants are expected to submit proof of Indian origin, preferably a valid PIO card or OCI card issued by the Government of India. Those who cannot submit documentary evidence of Indian origin are required to submit a declaration about Indian origin. The format is in Appendix B.

In the absence of any documentary evidence about Indian origin, an affidavit from the applicant attested by the Head of Indian Mission concerned verifying the Indian origin status of the applicant may be submitted.

(b) Non-Resident Indian (NRI): As defined in Income Tax Act, 1961 an individual is a Non-Resident Indian when he/she is "not a resident" or who is "not ordinarily resident". A person is treated as "not ordinary resident" when any of the following conditions are satisfied.

(i) If he/she has not been resident in India in nine out of ten preceding years;

(OR)

If he/she has not been in  India for a  period of  730 days or more during the preceding seven years.

(ii) Candidates from all the categories must have passed grade 11 and grade 12 from abroad. However, to apply under the category of Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries, who are left behind in India, the candidate must have passed the Senior Secondary (10+2) or equivalent examination from a system of education recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

(iii) Children of PIO/OCI/NRI who have not passed the qualifying examination from a foreign country except in the case of children of ECR country workers category at 3(i)(d) above), shall not be eligible for SPDC.

(iv) Children of Indians residing in Nepal shall be eligible for SPDC on fulfillment of the following two criteria :

(a) Both the parents should be registered in the Indian Mission/Post in Nepal for a minimum period of four years.
(b) The applicant has done at least four years of schooling including two years of classes XI & XII in Nepal just prior to applying.

(v) Age: The SPDC is open to applicants in the age group of 17 to 21 years as of 31st July 2021. Date of birth as recorded in the Secondary Education Board/University Certificate of Class 10th or equivalent, or as mentioned in a certificate for this purpose issued by appropriate Government authorities of respective countries will be taken as authentic for this purpose.

(vi) Academic Qualification.

(a) Schooling &   Qualifying  Examination:  Children of PIOs/OCIs must have done the six years of schooling from 07th to 12th from selected 69 countries and the children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries who are studied abroad must have done the three years of schooling from 10th to 12th standard from selected 69 countries & the children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries who are studied in India must have cleared the Senior Secondary (10+2) or equivalent examination from a system of education recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), with requisite subjects. Children of Indians residing in Nepal have required to be done at least four years of schooling including two years of classes XI & XII in Nepal just prior to applying.

(b) Minimum  Marks in  Qualifying  Examination:  The candidate must have secured a  minimum of  60%  aggregate marks or equivalent grades in aggregate of all the subjects in the qualifying examination.

(c) Subjects of Study in Qualifying Examination: The candidate must have studied the prescribed essential subjects at the qualifying examination level to pursue a particular course of study. Details of Institutions and Courses offered are as given in Appendix C. Applicants/candidates who passed the qualifying examination  (10+2) and have secured admission in an undergraduate course in the designated Institution in India (as per  Appendix  C)   and fulfill other eligibility criteria can apply for   SPDC.   Such candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of marks/score obtained at 10+2 level along with submission of proof of  Admission  Letter issued by the  Institution,  duly stamped and signed by  Authorized  Signatory of that  Institution and other required documents submitted online. It shall be the responsibility of the candidates to ascertain whether they meet the eligibility criterion for application under the SPDC Scholarship scheme. The eligibility of candidates, in doubtful cases, would be decided by the Ministry of External Affairs.

(vii) Parents Income. Income criteria shall be applicable to all categories of candidates. The total monthly income of the parent(s) of the candidate/applicant should NOT exceed an amount equivalent to US Dollars Five Thousand (US$ 5000). The applicants’ parent(s) are required to be provided a self-attested salary certificate from the employer-based in a foreign country. In case information about family, income is found incorrect, the scholarship will be revoked and the amount already disbursed will be recovered. Legal action may also be initiated against the defaulter.

(viii) Candidates availing scholarship/financial assistance/any other assistance under any other Scheme sponsored and/or funded by State Government / Central Government of India shall not be eligible for assistance under SPDC. Candidates /parents/guardians are required to sign a declaration as in Appendix D.



4. HOW TO APPLY.

After obtaining admission to a selected course in any of the institutes as mentioned in Appendix ‘C’, students who fulfill all other eligibility conditions may submit the online application form.


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5. FURNISHING FALSE INFORMATION DECLARATION.

In case, any information, certificate, or declaration, as furnished by the applicant is found to be false or furnished willfully to hide the material fact(s), the grant of scholarship to him/her will be withdrawn forthwith and no further correspondence will be entertained on this matter. The amount of scholarship already paid to such a candidate would be recoverable from the candidate/parents/guardian. The decision of MEA would be final in this regard.

6. SHORTLISTING & SELECTION PROCESS.

The selection process will be based on Merit-cum-Means basis, meaning, where two candidates secure equal MARKS, preference will be given to applicant/prospective student who comes from lower-income family. 

(i) Receipt/Registration of Applications.

The applicant shall submit an application form online and upload the required documents. Only online application forms will be accepted.

(ii) List of SPDC Awardees.

An A-List of candidates awarded scholarships in each category of candidates would be drawn up by the Selection Committee. The decision of the Committee in this regard shall be final and binding on all concerned.

Candidates shall give their consent about acceptance of scholarship through e-mail to the Ministry of  External  Affairs within  07 days of publication of the  1st  list of shortlisted candidates.

Note: In case of delay in scholarship payment, the candidate is required to pay the due amount to the Institution.

(iii) CONFIRMATION OF SCHOLARSHIP.

Thereafter,   candidates   (names displayed in   Selection   List)   shall submit an undertaking (Appendix E) duly stamped & signed by the respective Institution (within 15 days of display of 1st  merit list) that as per the requirements of SPDC Guidelines the Institute shall submit required documentation online from time to time. These documentations comprise of:

The amount of Tuition fee, hostel fee, and other fees charged (per annum), Progress Report of the Student, for calculation of scholarship amount, Bank details of the Institution for online transfer of scholarship funds. Appendix – E shall be received in MEA/its designated Agency.

By post/ in person (Original) within 22 days of the display of merit list to Section Officer (OIA-II), Ministry of External Affairs, Room no. 1025, Akbar Bhawan, Chankyapuri, New Delhi-110021. Confirmation of scholarship benefit to these candidates will depend upon the consent of their Institution (APPENDIX–E) to comply with the guidelines of the SPDC Scheme.

Based on the fee receipts, the student shall be sent an OFFER LETTER which shall contain details of the scholarship amount admissible to the student.

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7. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.

(i) In the First Year: Partial financial assistance to the extent of 75% of the total Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) subject to a maximum of US $ Four Thousand (US$ 4,000) per annum whichever is less would be made by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India to the applicants selected for the SPDC scheme.  IEC includes Tuition fees, Hostel fees & other institutional charges. (Food charges are excluded).

(ii) For Second and Subsequent Years: The parameters for a continuation of scholarship to selected applicants for the second and subsequent years of study w.e.f. Academic Year 2022-23, are as follows: Students securing 50% and above marks in aggregate in an academic year with clear pass marks in all subjects of study, would be eligible to receive the maximum admissible scholarship i.e. 75% of IEC or US$ Four Thousand (US$ 4,000) in the following year of study.

Students, who secure less than 50% marks in aggregate in an academic year and have obtained clear pass marks in all subjects of study, would be eligible to receive 90% of the scholarship admissible under paragraph 7(i) above, in the following year of study.

Students, who could not secure clear pass marks in all subjects but have been promoted by the Institute/University to the next academic year, would be eligible to receive 50% of the scholarship admissible under paragraph 7(i) above in the following year of study.

Students, who have not been promoted to the next academic year, would not be eligible for grant of any further scholarship.

The students who have been getting scholarships from previous will be administered scholarships as per their respective guidelines. Existing beneficiaries shall continue to get the scholarships till the completion of their courses, if otherwise eligible.



8. DISBURSEMENT OF SCHOLARSHIP. The admissible amount of scholarship shall be remitted by Ministry or through its designated agency directly to the concerned Institute/University on annual basis. Remittance of scholarship funds shall take place only on receipt of funds from MEA. [Please note that the total expenditure likely to be incurred in pursuing various courses of study will be higher than the scholarship amount provided, the expenses in excess, of the scholarship assistance being provided by MEA, shall have to be borne by the Candidate or by his/her parents/ guardians. It is in their interest to ensure that they have adequate financial resources to meet these expenses for the entire period of study.

9. COURSES OF STUDY AND INSTITUTIONS. Admission of candidates is strictly restricted to the institutes and courses as mentioned in Appendix ‘C’.

10. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FORM.

(i) All candidates are required to save the information filled while completing the online application form.
(ii) Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi shall not be responsible for any delay in submitting the Application form.
(iii) The following documents/transcripts/certificates have to be uploaded with the application form:

(a) The authenticated transcripts of all marks/grades secured in the qualifying examination i.e. 12th Standard/ Grade The mark sheets downloaded from the Internet (CERTIFIED) can also be submitted along with details of Roll No. allotted for appearing in the qualifying examination, name of Examining Board and the URL of the Examining Board's Website from which it has been downloaded, for advance information.
(b) In the case of NRIs/PIO/OCI, the qualifying examination 10+2 or equivalent (inclusive of 11Th and 12Th standard) should have been passed from any country listed in Appendix-A only. Certificates for these exams must be uploaded.

(c) Children of Indian workers must have had at least 3 (three) years of education in any of the ECR countries (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen) during the last 6 (six) years and passed the qualifying examination inclusive of 11Th and 12Th standard or equivalent). Certificates of these exams/ transcripts, mark sheets must be uploaded with the application form.

(d) Applicants who belong to the two categories i.e., Children of Indian Workers of ECR countries studying outside India and Children of Indian Workers of ECR countries studying in India, applicants must submit a self-attested copy of the certificate certifying that the parent(s) of the candidate concerned is/are working in an ECR country since last two years. Copy of his work permit for the ECR country must be submitted.

(e) In the case of PIOs/OCI, a copy of the PIO/OCI card or declaration about proof of Indian origin (attested by Head of Indian Mission) (Valid for next 5 years) must be enclosed with the application.

(f) The marks obtained by the candidates in improvement/compartment examination shall not be considered.

(g) Incomplete/illegible applications in any respect would be rejected.

(h) Annual Self-attested salary certificate of applicants’ parents duly signed by the employer based in a foreign country.

(i) Declaration that candidate is not receiving any other scholarship or financial assistance or any other assistance under any other Government of India or State Government Scheme.

Note: In case of any false information scholarship will be revoked and the amount already disbursed will be recovered. Further, the law will take its own course. The Last Date for submission of the Completed  Application  Form online is 30 November 2021.



11. MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION.

(i) Visa Status. All selected Persons of Indian Origin (excluding OCIs) must obtain a valid student visa issued by the Indian Missions/Posts abroad. Visa can be obtained by producing the admission offer letter received from the respective Institute.

(ii) Medium of Instruction. English is the medium of instruction at all the Institutes.




12. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.
 All decisions of MEA regarding shortlisting of candidates under SPDC shall be final and binding.  Disputes if any,  relating to the shortlisting of candidates under  SPDC 2021-22 organized by shall be subject to Delhi jurisdiction only.

13. HOW TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM.

(i) The application form must be filled in ENGLISH.

(ii) ONLY one application per candidate is allowed.

(iii) Applicants must ensure that they fulfill all the eligibility requirements for application, i.e. education, age, residence and physical fitness, etc. Grant of scholarship benefit is subject to verification of facts from original certificates /documents.

(iv) Dimension of the Passport size Photograph to be uploaded:Width: 100 px to 200 px Height: 120 px to 230 px Dimension: 200 x 230 pixels (preferred) Size of File: 20 to 50 Kb.

(v) Ensure that the size of the scanned image is not more than 50KB. Upload your recent photograph (20-50 kb) in the appropriate place in the application form.

(vi) Name. Enter the name exactly as given in the records of the high school college. The same name should be used in all future correspondence.

(vii) Gender. Please select the appropriate box provided.

(viii) Date of Birth. Enter the date, month, and year of your birth as per the English calendar and as recorded in the high school university certificate.

(ix) Category. Only one choice is to be given. Please select the appropriate category.
There are 4 categories of applicants i.e.
(i) Person of Indian Origin (PIO)/OCI,
(ii) Non-resident Indian (NRI),
(iii) Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries-those studied outside India (ECR based outside India) and
(iv) Children of Indian Workers in ECR countries those studying in India (ECR based in India).

(xi) Citizenship.

(xii) Country of residence.

(xiii) Country where you appeared for the Qualifying Examination. Enter the Name of the country from where the last requisite examination is qualified.

(xiv) Name and Address of Parent/Guardian. Enter the complete name of your parent(s), if parents are not alive you may mention the name of your guardian. In the case of a guardian, indicate how you are related to the guardian.

(xv) Enter your complete postal address, telephone/fax number/email address abroad and in India, to which all correspondence is to be sent. Update these details online.

(xvi) Details of Institute where admission has been taken. Enter complete details of the Institute/ University in India where admission has been confirmed. Submit complete details of the course undertaken, duration of the course (Year/ Semester) only for the Academic part of the Course, please do not include the internship period.

(xvii) Details of Qualifying Examination. Read carefully item No. 3.3 under 'Eligibility Criteria for Admission' of this Information Brochure and give the necessary details of the qualifying examination.

(xviii) Passport Details. Provide details of the Passport and enclose a copy of the same.

(xix) Details of study Abroad. Provide the number of years of your education abroad out of the last  6  years inclusive of 10+2. Upload documentary proof from your School Principal or any suitable authority.

(xx) Declaration by Applicant (Appendix B). The declaration must be signed (Upload scan signature) by the candidate with the date and place.

(xxi) Declaration by Parents (Appendix D). The declaration is signed (Upload scan signature) by the parent/guardian with the date and place.

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