Gujarat Hon. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

Higher education can bring a significant financial burden for families, particularly when students choose professional courses with high tuition fees. To support eligible students from specified economically and socially vulnerable groups, the Government of Gujarat runs the Hon. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme (CMSS) through the Education Department. The scheme has been in effect since the academic year 2014-15 and has been revised through subsequent Government Resolutions.

Under CMSS, eligible students can receive financial assistance towards their annual tuition fee. The assistance is generally limited to 50% of the annual tuition fee or the prescribed course-wise maximum amount, whichever is lower. The maximum ceiling is ₹5 lakh for Medical and Dental courses, while lower limits apply to other eligible courses, including ₹1 lakh for applicable professional courses, ₹50,000 for Diploma courses and ₹10,000 for specified higher-education courses.

However, meeting the income limit alone is not enough to qualify. Students must belong to one of the seven categories specified under CMSS and must satisfy the prescribed academic and course requirements. These categories include girls studying from the 50 government-specified talukas where female literacy is below 50%, children of eligible defence and police personnel, children of E-Nirman Card holders, eligible students or children covered under the disability category, children of widowed women, orphans and children of divorced or abandoned women.

The scheme covers selected Medical, Dental, Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Paramedical, Engineering, Technology, Pharmacy, Diploma and higher-education courses. Since the number of scholarships is limited to 2,500, eligible students are selected on merit according to the prescribed criteria for their course. For example, Medical and Dental scholarships are based on NEET, while Diploma and several higher-education categories use the relevant Class 10 or Class 12 results.

Students who meet the eligibility conditions must apply online through the official CMSS portal and submit the required documents for verification. The application is not complete after online submission alone. The student must visit the designated Help Centre within 7 days, complete document verification and collect the Acknowledgement Receipt. Once approved, the scholarship is transferred directly to the student's bank account through DBT, provided the required Aadhaar-bank seeding is completed.

Scheme Benefits

• Provides financial assistance for eligible higher-education courses.
• Covers selected medical, dental, AYUSH, paramedical, engineering, technology, pharmacy, diploma and higher-education courses.
• Scholarship is generally calculated at 50% of the applicable annual tuition fee or the prescribed maximum amount, whichever is lower.
• The maximum assistance is ₹5 lakh for Medical and Dental courses. The maximum ceiling is ₹1 lakh for applicable professional courses, ₹50,000 for Diploma courses and ₹10,000 for specified higher-education courses.
• A total of 2,500 scholarships are provided across the prescribed course categories.
• Eligible students can receive assistance through renewal in subsequent years if they continue to meet the renewal conditions.
• The scholarship amount is transferred directly to the student's bank account through DBT.

Beneficiary Categories

To apply for CMSS, the student must belong to one of the following seven categories:

1. Girls studying from the 50 government-specified talukas where female literacy is below 50%.
2. Children of eligible personnel of the Indian Armed Forces, Central or State Paramilitary Forces, Central or State Reserve Police Forces, and Gujarat Police Force who were martyr or permanently disabled in war, terrorism or Naxalite violence, as specified under the scheme.
3. Children of parents holding a valid E-Nirman Card.
4. Children of parents having 40% or more disability, or students who themselves have 40% or more disability.
5. Children of widowed women.
6. Orphaned children whose both parents have died.
7. Children of divorced or abandoned (Tyakta) women.

The applicable certificate or proof for the relevant category must be submitted during the application and verification process. For the Shramik category, the 15 January 2024 Government Resolution specifically clarified that only the E-Nirman Card is to be accepted.

Financial Assistance Under the Scheme

CMSS provides a fixed maximum amount for each course category. The actual scholarship is not automatically equal to the maximum amount. For the applicable categories, the assistance is based on 50% of the annual tuition fee or the prescribed maximum amount, whichever is lower.

The course-wise scholarship quota and maximum assistance above are based on the official CMSS Government Resolution and student instructions. The actual amount payable depends on the applicable tuition fee and the prescribed ceiling.

The 2024 framework separately provides 200 scholarships for Ayurveda and Homeopathy based on NEET and 50 scholarships for other paramedical courses based on Class 12 PCB theory marks. These should not be treated as a single 250-seat paramedical category.

Eligibility Criteria

To apply under the Hon. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme, the student must meet the following conditions:

• Be eligible under one of the seven specified CMSS categories.
• Meet the prescribed academic qualification for the selected course.
• Have annual family income of not more than ₹4.50 lakh.
• Have secured admission to a course covered under CMSS.
• Meet the applicable merit requirements for the course and scholarship category.
• Provide the required documents and complete verification at the designated Help Centre.

Eligibility for Fresh Applicants

Fresh applicants generally include students who have passed Class 10 or Class 12 and entered an eligible diploma or degree course, or students who have passed a diploma examination and entered a degree course. The exact qualifying examination and merit basis depend on the course.

Students applying through the Diploma-to-Degree route must use their diploma enrolment details as required by the CMSS portal.

Courses Covered Under CMSS

The official CMSS portal contains course lists under different departments. The following are examples of the courses/categories covered:

• Technical: B.E., B.Tech., B.Pharm., B.Voc., Architecture, Pharm.D., Dual Degree Integrated courses and Diploma-to-Degree courses.
• Medical: MBBS, Dental and other listed medical courses.
• AYUSH: Ayurveda, Homeopathy and other courses listed under the AYUSH category.
• Paramedical: Nursing, Physiotherapy and other eligible paramedical courses covered under the applicable CMSS category. The scholarship allocation is separately divided between 200 AYUSH seats and 50 other paramedical seats under the revised framework.
• Higher Education: B.A., B.Com., B.Sc., BBA, BCA, integrated courses, Hotel Management, Bachelor of Design and other listed courses.
• Diploma: Eligible engineering, pharmacy, horticulture and other diploma courses listed on the CMSS portal.

The student should check the department-wise course list on the official portal before applying because CMSS assistance is available only for courses covered under the scheme.

Special Provision for Dual Degree / Diploma + Degree Courses

The Government of Gujarat added a specific provision for students who pass Class 10 and enter a six-year Dual Degree or Diploma + Degree integrated professional course.

• For the first three years, the student can receive CMSS assistance at the level applicable to Diploma Engineering.
• For the following three years, the student must come into the prescribed merit when compared with eligible Diploma-to-Degree students.
• Only after meeting the applicable merit condition can the student receive CMSS assistance for the remaining three years at the prescribed degree-engineering level.

Required Documents

Students should keep the following documents ready before submitting the application. Some documents are common to most applicants, while others depend on the student's CMSS category.

Common Documents

• Aadhaar Card of the student.
• Ration Card and student member ID, as required on the portal.
• Class 10 or Class 12 marksheet, as applicable.
• Diploma marksheet/enrolment details for Diploma-to-Degree applicants, where applicable.
• Admission committee letter or admission proof for the eligible course.
• All applicable tuition-fee payment receipts.
• Parent's income certificate.
• Original self-declaration in the prescribed format.
• Certificate from the institution's principal in the prescribed format.
• First page of the student's bank savings passbook.

Category-Specific Documents

• Defence/Police category: Certificate from the competent authority or Soldier Welfare Board, as prescribed for the Indian Armed Forces, Central or State Paramilitary Forces, Central or State Reserve Police Forces or Gujarat Police Force category.
• E-Nirman category: Valid E-Nirman Card of the parent.
• Disability category: Valid disability certificate showing the prescribed disability percentage.
• Widow category: Widow certificate in the prescribed format.
• Orphan category: Required death certificates and/or orphanage certificate, as applicable.
• Divorced/abandoned woman category:Prescribed court document or ₹100 stamp-paper affidavit, as applicable.
• Girls from specified low-female-literacy talukas: Documents required to establish eligibility under the applicable category.

The exact document format can vary by category. Students should download the latest prescribed formats from the CMSS portal before submitting the application.

Steps to Apply

CMSS applications are submitted online through the official Gujarat scholarship portal. Students should complete the form carefully because details such as the name, seat number, passing year, Aadhaar number and bank details are used during verification and payment.

Students should keep their marksheet, Aadhaar Card, ration card, bank passbook and other required documents ready before starting the online application. Follow the steps below carefully:

• Visit the official CMSS website and register using your Standard 10th or Standard 12th seat number. Enter the seat number without spaces or special characters.
• If you are applying for a Diploma-to-Degree course, use your Diploma enrolment number for registration instead of the Standard 10th or 12th seat number.
• Enter your name exactly as it appears on your original Standard 10th or 12th marksheet. Do not make changes to the spelling or order of your name.
• Enter your passing year exactly as mentioned on your marksheet. For example, if you passed in 2024, select or enter 2024.
• Enter your personal mobile number and keep it active throughout your course. Important application-related updates and SMS notifications may be sent to the registered number.
• Enter and verify your 12-digit Aadhaar number carefully. Make sure the Aadhaar details belong to you and match the information required on the application.
• Enter your ration card number and the student's member ID exactly as shown on the ration card.
• Provide your correct bank account details and an active email ID. Check the account number and other banking details carefully because the approved scholarship is transferred through DBT.
• Enter your percentage as shown on the marksheet. If your marksheet does not mention a percentage, calculate it according to the applicable rules of your Board or University.
• Select the correct academic stream. Students from Arts and Commerce should select General Stream, while students from Science should select Science Stream.
• Select the course, college and other admission details carefully. Make sure the selected course is covered under the CMSS course list and that the admission information matches your supporting documents.
• Upload the required documents in the prescribed format and file size. Check that every document is clear and readable before submitting it.
• Review the complete application before final submission. Check your name, seat or enrolment number, passing year, Aadhaar, ration card, bank details, course details and uploaded documents for errors.
• Submit the application online and keep the application details or acknowledgement safely for future reference.
• After submitting the application, visit the designated CMSS Help Centre for document verification within the prescribed period. Completing online registration without Help Centre verification does not complete the application process.

Help Centre Verification

Online submission alone does not complete the CMSS application process. After submitting the application, the student must complete document verification at the designated Help Centre within the prescribed period.

• Visit the designated Help Centre within 7 days of submitting the application.
• Carry the required application form and supporting documents for verification.
• Complete document verification at the Help Centre.
• Collect the Acknowledgement Receipt after verification and keep it safely.
• If verification is not completed within 7 days, the online application is automatically cancelled.
• Check the CMSS portal for the Help Centre assigned to your course.

Selection Process

CMSS selection is based on merit among eligible applicants and is limited to the number of scholarships prescribed for each course category. The merit basis is not the same for every course.

The portal publishes provisional and final merit lists for the applicable categories and academic years. Students should check the official portal for their selection status.

Application Status and Pending Documents

Students can use the Student Status facility on the CMSS portal to check the progress of their application.

• If an application is marked pending because a document is missing, the student should log in through Student Status and use the Upload Pending Document Now option. If the status shows "Other", the student should read the remarks and upload the documents specifically requested by the department.
• The official instructions state that an application may be rejected if incorrect documents are uploaded more than three times. Students should therefore read the remarks carefully before uploading a replacement document.

Note: Students with delayed results or missing documents can follow the prescribed delayed-result process and submit Self-Declaration, wherever applicable. Once the result or document is available, it must be uploaded and verified within the prescribed time.

Renewal Process

Students who continue their eligible course after receiving CMSS assistance can apply for renewal through the portal. Renewal is subject to the prescribed academic performance, attendance, income and other conditions.

• Maintain at least 50% marks in the examination for which the previous scholarship was received.
• Maintain at least 75% attendance as required under the applicable institutional rules.
• Continue to meet the ₹4.50 lakh annual family-income limit.
• Continue in the eligible course and satisfy the applicable renewal conditions.
• Complete the online renewal application and document-verification requirements within the prescribed period.

Important Terms and Conditions

• The student must belong to one of the seven specified CMSS categories.
• The annual family income must remain within ₹4.50 lakh.
• Scholarship selection is subject to merit and the number of scholarships available in the applicable course category.
• The actual scholarship amount depends on 50% of the applicable tuition fee and the prescribed maximum ceiling.
• Only courses listed as eligible under CMSS are covered.
• For the Shramik category, only the E-Nirman Card is accepted as clarified by the 15 January 2024 Government Resolution.
• Fresh applicants and renewal applicants must provide the documents applicable to their category and course.
• Help Centre verification is mandatory after online submission and must be completed within 7 days.
• Failure to complete verification within 7 days results in automatic cancellation of the online application.
• The student must obtain the Acknowledgement Receipt after Help Centre verification.
• Aadhaar must be correctly linked with the student's bank account for DBT payment.
• Students must keep their registered mobile number active and provide correct contact details.
• False information or false documents can lead to recovery of the scholarship amount with 18% interest and other applicable legal action.
• Students should follow the latest instructions and notices published on the official CMSS portal because application schedules and document requirements can change by academic year.

Relevant Links

• Official CMSS Scholarship Portal
• CMSS Government Resolutions
• CMSS Document Formats
• CMSS Help Centre and Student Status
• Self Declaration Form
• Gujarat Hon. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme (CMSS) Guidelines

Contact Information

Hon. Chief Minister Scholarship Scheme (CMSS), Government of Gujarat 

• Implementing/Coordinating Agency: Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG)
• Address: Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat, Opposite PRL, Near L.D. College of Engineering, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• CMSS Helpline: 7043333181
• Helpline Hours: 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM on working days
• Email: [email protected]

For payment-related queries, students should follow the payment-query timings displayed on the official CMSS portal.