Meghalaya Free Laptop Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Meghalaya IT Awards for Meritorious Students, also known as "Free Laptop Scheme" is a Government of Meghalaya initiative that rewards students for outstanding performance in their Board examinations. Under this initiative, the Directorate of Information Technology & Communications (DIT&C) awards a laptop to students who secure the prescribed merit positions. The laptop serves as a one-time academic award to recognise their achievement and support their access to digital learning resources.

The award covers students appearing under MBOSE, CBSE and CISCE. The department follows separate merit criteria for each Board, class and stream. For Class XII, students are considered separately for streams such as Arts, Science, and Commerce, rather than being placed in a single combined merit list. This allows students to be assessed within the applicable Board and stream.

Only students who feature in the official merit list published by DIT&C qualify for the award. The department prepares separate merit lists for each Board, class and stream. For CBSE, ICSE and ISC, students must also have appeared from schools affiliated with the respective Board and physically located within Meghalaya. The detailed Board-wise and stream-wise selection criteria are provided in the Eligibility Requirements and Selection Criteria sections below.

The free laptop award policy has been in effect since 2015, when the Government of Meghalaya introduced a formal policy for awarding laptops to meritorious students. The department subsequently issued amended guidelines for selecting students based on their performance in the respective Board examinations. Once the eligible list is finalised, the selected students receive the laptop award through the government's award distribution process. DIT&C also handles the verification of claims and objections relating to the provisional merit list.

For 2026, DIT&C has published a provisional list of students eligible for the laptop awards. The list covers MBOSE Class X and XII, CBSE Class X and XII, ICSE Class X, ISC Class XII and Specially Able Candidates. The Meghalaya Laptop Scheme selection list provides students' names, schools and, where applicable, their positions, marks or percentages.

For the 2026 award cycle, online registration for the Free Laptop Scheme is available from 3 August 2026 to 3 September 2026. Students who believe they meet the applicable merit criteria but whose names are missing from the provisional list can submit a claim or objection. The 2026 notice allows such students to approach DIT&C with their original mark sheet, valid photo ID, and other relevant supporting documents for verification. Claims and objections must be submitted by 3 September 2026.

Scheme Benefits

• Eligible students in the official merit list receive a laptop as an IT Award from the Government of Meghalaya.
• The department prepares separate merit lists for MBOSE, CBSE and CISCE (ICSE/ISC).
• Class XII students are selected separately for Arts, Science and Commerce, as applicable.
• Students securing the same marks receive the same rank and are considered for the laptop award.
• Students included under the Specially Able Candidates category are also covered under the laptop award.
• The scheme provides a one-time laptop award rather than recurring financial assistance.
• Students who meet the applicable merit criteria but are missing from the provisional list can submit a claim for verification.
• The award recognises students for their outstanding performance in the respective Board examinations.

Note: The available policy and amended guidelines confirm the provision of laptops as awards, but they do not specify a cash benefit or a fixed monetary value for the laptop.

Eligibility Requirements

• The student must have passed the relevant Class X or Class XII Board examination in 2026.
• The student must have appeared for the examination under MBOSE, CBSE or CISCE.
• For CBSE, ICSE and ISC, the student must have appeared from a school affiliated with the respective Board and physically located within the State of Meghalaya.
• The student must meet the applicable merit and ranking criteria prescribed for the respective Board and examination.
• If two or more students secure the same marks, they receive the same rank and are considered for the award.
• Eligible specially-abled students covered under the applicable criteria can also receive the IT Award.

For the 2026 awards, the provisional merit list published by the Directorate includes students from MBOSE, CBSE, ICSE and ISC, along with specially-abled MBOSE candidates.

Selection Criteria for the Merit List

Key Points for selection criteria

• The department prepares the merit list based on the applicable Board-wise ranking criteria.
• For MBOSE Class XII and CBSE Class XII, students are considered separately for Arts, Science and Commerce streams.
• For ISC Class XII, students are selected separately from Science, Humanities and Commerce.
• For CBSE Class X, the selection follows the ranking criteria communicated by the CBSE Regional Office, Guwahati.
• If two or more students secure the same marks, they receive the same rank and are considered accordingly.
• Because of tied ranks, the number of students in the provisional merit list can be higher than the standard number of positions.
• The 2026 provisional list includes additional students in some categories because of tied positions. For example, the MBOSE Class X list contains 50 students for positions up to 20.

Required Documents

• Board Examination Marksheet
• Passport-size Photograph

Applicants must also provide their email ID and mobile number while completing the online registration form.

Steps to Apply

Eligible students can register online for the Meghalaya Free Laptop Scheme through the DIT&C portal. The online registration window is open from 3 August 2026 to 3 September 2026.

1. Visit the official DIT&C website at www.ditmeghalaya.gov.in.
2. Open the current Public Notice and the Provisional List published for the applicable academic year.
3. Check that your name appears under the correct board, class, and stream category in the Provisional List.
4. Select the service for Registration for IT Awards for Meritorious Students 2026.
5. Fill in your personal, academic, and school details exactly as they appear on your board marksheet/admit card.
6. Upload the marksheet and photograph as prompted by the online form.
7. Review all the details entered in the application form and submit it online.
8. Download and keep the acknowledgement slip safely for future reference.

How to Check the Provisional Merit List

1. Visit the official website of the Directorate of Information Technology & Communications, Government of Meghalaya.
2. Look for the IT Awards for Meritorious Students 2026 section or the latest IT Awards notice.
3. Open the Provisional List of Meritorious Students Eligible for Awards of Laptops During 2026.
4. Check the list according to your Board, class and stream.
5. Search for your name, school name and position in the relevant list.
6. For CBSE and CISCE categories, also check the roll number or marks/percentage provided in the list.

The 2026 provisional merit list contains separate sections for MBOSE, ICSE, ISC, CBSE and specially-abled candidates. Students should check the section applicable to their Board and examination.

If a student believes they are eligible but their name is missing from the provisional list, they can raise a claim or objection with the Directorate by 3 September 2026, subject to the conditions mentioned in the 2026 Public Notice.

How to Raise a Claim or Objection

Students who meet the applicable merit criteria but are not included in the provisional list can raise a claim with the Directorate of Information Technology & Communications. Students must have marks equal to or higher than those of the last shortlisted student in the relevant category.

• Approach the Directorate for verification.
• Carry the original Board Examination marksheet.
• Carry a valid photo ID proof.
• Provide other relevant supporting documents, if required.
• Submit the claim or objection on or before 3 September 2026.

Relevant Links

• Meghalaya Free Laptop Scheme Online Registration
• Meghalaya Awarding Laptops to Meritorious Students Guidelines
• Meghalaya Awarding Laptops to Meritorious Students Revised Guidelines
• Meghalaya Awarding Laptops to Meritorious Students Provisionally Shortlisted List 2026
• Meghalaya Information Technology and Communication Official Website.

Contact Information

• Meghalaya Information Technology and Communication Email Helpdesk: [email protected]