Keralam Maargadeepam Scholarship Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Maargadeepam Scholarship is a pre-matric scholarship scheme of the Keralam Government that provides financial support to students from notified minority communities. Under the scheme, eligible students studying from Class 1 to Class 8 in Government and Government-aided schools can receive ₹1,500 per student for the academic year. The scholarship aims to support the education of minority students and is provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the selected student's bank account.

Students belonging to the Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi communities can apply for the Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27. The student's parent or guardian must have an annual income of not more than ₹2.50 lakh, and the applicant must be a permanent resident of Keralam. The scheme also limits the benefit to a maximum of 2 children from the same family. Students receiving another scholarship are not eligible for this benefit.

The scheme reserves 30% of the scholarships for girl students. If sufficient eligible applications from girls are not available, boys can be considered for the unfilled quota. The selection process also gives additional index points to students with a disability of 40% or more and students who have lost one or both parents. For Classes 2 to 8, the department considers the student's academic performance during the 2025-26 academic year, while Class 1 students are selected without considering academic marks.

Eligible students must apply through their respective school by submitting the prescribed Maargadeepam Scholarship application form to the Head of the Institution. The school enters the student's details through the Maargadeepam portal, verifies the information and forwards the application to the Minority Welfare Department. The required supporting documents are submitted to the school and retained by the institution for verification when required.

Students must submit their application form before its deadline. For the Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27, the last date for students to submit their applications is extended again. Now students can submit their applications until 31 October 2026. Students who have received the scholarship previously can apply again for the next academic year, subject to the applicable eligibility and selection conditions. Along with this scheme, The Directorate of Minority Welfare also supports minority students at later education stages, through schemes such as the Keralam APJ Abdul Kalam Scholarship Scheme for polytechnic diploma students.

Latest Update

The last date to submit applications for the Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 has been extended until 11:00 PM on 31 October 2026. The scholarship supports eligible minority students studying in Classes 1 to 8 in Government and Government-aided schools in Keralam. Eligible students should complete the application process within the extended deadline.

Scheme Benefits

The Maargadeepam Scholarship provides financial assistance to eligible minority students studying in Classes 1 to 8 in Government and Government-aided schools in Keralam. The scholarship helps students continue their school education by providing direct financial support.

• Eligible students receive a scholarship of ₹1,500 per student per academic year.
• The scholarship amount is transferred to the selected student's bank account through DBT from the Treasury.
• 30% of the scholarships are reserved for girl students. If sufficient eligible girl applicants are not available, boys can be considered for the unfilled quota.
• Students with 40% or more physical or mental disability receive additional index points during selection.
• Covers students studying in Class 1 to Class 8, filling the gap left after the central government restricted its own pre-matric scholarship for minority students to Class 9 and 10 only.
• Students who have lost their father, mother, or both parents receive additional index points during the selection process.
• Students who received the scholarship in one academic year can apply again for the next academic year, subject to the applicable eligibility and selection criteria.

The scholarship amount, reservation for girls, DBT payment and special index points for eligible students are specified in the official 2026-27 Maargadeepam Scholarship guidelines.

Eligibility Requirements

Students must meet the following conditions to apply for the Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27. The scheme covers eligible minority students studying in Government and Government-aided schools in Keralam.

• The student must belong to a notified minority community, including
  • Muslim
  • Christian (all sects)
  • Sikh
  • Buddhist
  • Jain, or
  • Parsi communities.
• The student must be studying in Class 1 to Class 8 in a Government school or Government-aided school in Kerala.
• The annual income of the parent or guardian from all sources must not exceed ₹2.50 lakh.
• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Keralam.
• Only a maximum of 2 children from the same family can receive the scholarship.
• Students receiving the benefit of another scholarship are not eligible to apply under the scheme.
• 30% of the scholarships are reserved for girl students. If sufficient eligible applications from girls are not available, boys may be considered for the unfilled quota.

The Head of the Institution verifies the family details during application processing, including checking the ration card details to ensure that more than 2 students from the same family have not applied for the scholarship.

Required Documents

Students applying for the Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 should submit the required documents to their school along with the application form. The Head of the Institution will verify the documents and keep them safely at the school for inspection when required.

• Family Income Certificate issued by the Village Officer.
• Community Certificate or Minority Certificate issued by the Village Officer.
• Copy of the student's Bank Passbook or joint account passbook with the parent or guardian.
• Disability Certificate, if applicable, for students with 40% or more disability.
• Death Certificate, if applicable, when the father, mother, or both parents have passed away.
• Copy of the Grade Sheet/Mark Sheet for the 2025-26 academic year.

Important: The required documents do not need to be uploaded along with the online application. Applicants should submit the documents to their school, and the Head of the Institution will keep them safely for verification. The application form also requires details such as the student's Aadhaar number and bank account information.

Steps to Apply

Students can apply for the Maargadeepam Scholarship through their respective school. The application process involves submitting the prescribed form to the Head of the Institution, after which the school enters and verifies the details through the Maargadeepam portal.

• To apply for the scheme, students need to visit the official Maargadeepam Scholarship portal at www.margadeepam.kerala.gov.in.
• Download the prescribed Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 Application Form from the portal.
• Fill in the application form with accurate and complete details.
• Submit the duly filled application form along with the required documents to the Head of the Institution.
• The school clerk will enter the applicant's details in the portal through the Clerk Login.
• The Head of the Institution will verify the details entered in the portal.
• After verification, the Head of the Institution will forward the application to the Minority Welfare Department through the portal.
• The institution will keep the submitted documents safely for verification or inspection when required.

Students should check the information entered in the portal for accuracy. If any information or document is missing, the Head of the Institution should inform the applicant in advance so that the required correction or submission can be completed within the prescribed time.

Application Deadline: The last date to submit the Maargadeepam Scholarship Scheme application form for the 2026-27 academic year has been extended until 11:00 PM on 31 October 2026.

Selection Process

Selection is based on a maximum of 30 index points across four categories: family income, academic performance, loss of parent(s), and disability.

• Family Income: This category carries a maximum of 10 points.
  • Points are calculated using the formula: (₹2,50,000 − actual annual income) ÷ 25,000.
  • A lower family income earns more points.
• Academic Performance: Students can receive a maximum of 12 points based on their academic performance in the previous year.
  • Grade A = 12 points
  • Grade B = 10 points
  • Grade C = 8 points
  • Grade D = 6 points
• Loss of Parent(s): Students receive special index points if their mother, father, or both parents have passed away.
  • Both parents deceased = 4 points
  • One parent deceased = 2 points
  • A death certificate is required where applicable.
• Disability: Students with a physical or mental disability of 40% or more receive 4 special index points. A disability certificate is required.

For Class 1 students, academic marks are not considered. Their selection is based on family income because they do not have previous-year school grades for assessment.

• Girl Students: 30% of the scholarships are reserved for girl students. If sufficient eligible girl applicants are not available, boys can be considered for the remaining scholarships.
• Family Limit: A maximum of 2 students from the same family can receive the scholarship. The Head of the Institution verifies this using the family's ration card details.
• Class-wise Adjustment: If a particular class has fewer eligible applicants than the available scholarships, students from another class with more applicants may be considered for the unfilled scholarships.

Renewal Process

The Maargadeepam Scholarship does not renew automatically. A student who received the scholarship in one academic year must submit a fresh application for the next academic year to receive the benefit again.

• The student must continue to meet the applicable eligibility conditions for the new academic year.
• The student must submit a fresh application through the prescribed process.
• The application will be considered under the selection criteria applicable to that academic year.
• Receiving the scholarship in a previous year does not guarantee selection for the next year.

The 2026-27 guidelines specifically state that a student who has received the scholarship once can apply again in the next academic year to avail the benefit again.

Relevant Links

• Maargadeepam Scholarship Official Portal
• Keralam Maargadeepam Scholarship Scheme Details
• Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 Official Guidelines (PDF)
• Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 Official Notification (PDF)
• Maargadeepam Scholarship 2026-27 Application Form (PDF)
• Track Margadeepam Scholarship Scheme Details

Contact Information

• Maragadeepam Scholarship Scheme Helpline Number
  • 0471 2300524
  • 0471 2300523
• Maragadeepam Scholarship Scheme Email: [email protected]