Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

The Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship for Class 11 students of Odisha. It is awarded by the Government of Odisha in the School & Mass Education Department. The Junior Merit Scholarship runs under the state's e-medhabruti umbrella and is funded from the State budget. The Directorate of Higher Secondary Education implements the scheme.

The purpose of the Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship scheme is simple. Many students score well in the HSC examination but come from families that cannot easily fund the next two years of study. The scheme meets a part of those educational expenses. It targets meritorious Higher Secondary School students whose parental income does not exceed Rs 6 lakh a year. In this way, it rewards strong Class 10 performance and helps students continue into Class XI and Class XII.

The Junior Merit Scholarship amount is Rs 3,000 per year for each selected student. The scholarship is paid for two years, covering Class XI and Class XII. A total of 10,000 scholarships are awarded every year. These are shared equally between boys and girls, in a 50:50 ratio. Students joining Class XI may also want to look at the Shahid Madho Singh Haath Kharcha Yojana, which offers support at the same point of entry into higher secondary study.

Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship eligibility rests on merit and income. The student must be a permanent resident of Odisha and must have secured 60% or more marks in the HSC (Class 10) examination. Selection is drawn in descending order of HSC marks until the quota of 10,000 is filled. Where two students tie on marks, the one with lower parental income is preferred. Students of both SAMS and Non-SAMS Higher Secondary Schools can apply, including those from CBSE and ICSE affiliated schools and Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Students can apply online for the Junior Merit Scholarship at the Odisha State Scholarship Portal, scholarship.odisha.gov.in. The Principal of the school then validates each record online. No physical application form is accepted. The scholarship money is transferred straight to the student's own bank account through DBT. The same portal also hosts the Pathani Samanta Mathematics Talent Scholarship, another scholarship open to Class XI and XII students of the state.

For the Junior Merit Scholarship 2026-27, the Directorate of Higher Secondary Education invited applications through its letter dated 17 August 2026. The online application window for fresh applicants runs from 20 August 2026 to 25 October 2026. School-level validation continues till 31 October 2026. Students should check their eligibility and keep their documents ready before the last date.

Scheme Benefits

The Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship provides financial support to selected meritorious students during their Higher Secondary education. The scholarship amount is provided for Class XI and Class XII, subject to the prescribed eligibility and renewal conditions.

• An annual scholarship of Rs 3,000/- per student.
• Scholarship will be provided for a duration of 2 years, covering Class XI and Class XII.
• A total of 10,000 scholarships will be awarded.
• Scholarships will be distributed between boys and girls in a 50:50 ratio.
• If sufficient eligible candidates are not available from one gender, the remaining scholarships may be awarded to other eligible applicants.
• The scholarship amount will be transferred directly to the student's bank account through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer).

Eligibility Requirements

Students should meet all the prescribed conditions before applying for the Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship. The eligibility conditions for the 2026-27 academic year are given below.

• The student must be a permanent resident of Odisha State.
• The student must have passed HSC (Class 10) with 60% or more marks.
• The qualifying institution must be recognised by BSE Odisha, CBSE, ICSE or an equivalent board.
• The student must be pursuing regular Class XI courses of 10+2.
• Both SAMS and Non-SAMS Higher Secondary Schools of the State are covered.
• The income of the parents from all sources should not exceed Rs 6.00 lakh per annum.
• Students must apply for the scholarship in the 1st year of the course, that is, in Class XI.
• Students of Odisha who are studying outside Odisha are also required to apply online for this scholarship.
• Students of all categories, including General, SC, ST, OBC/SEBC and EBC, can apply.
• The student must hold an active account in a nationalised bank with ECS/Core Banking facility, and the account must be in the student's own name.

Ineligibility Criteria

The scheme guidelines also spell out who is kept out of the Junior Merit Scholarship. Students falling in any of the following categories are not eligible.

• Students pursuing their higher studies through distance learning or correspondence.
• Students already availing a scholarship under any other scheme of the State or Central Government.
• Students studying abroad.
• Students not validated by the concerned Principal or institution during Class XI.
• Multiple registrations or applications by the same student for a particular category of merit are strictly prohibited.
• If any authenticated record is found to carry invalid documents, the case is summarily rejected.

Required Documents

Applicants should keep the documents required for Junior Merit Scholarship ready before starting the online form, as every one of them has to be uploaded in legible form at the time of applying.

• Aadhaar Card.
• Domicile certificate issued by the concerned Tahasildar or Additional Tahasildar.
• Students whose parents work under the Odisha State Government may instead produce resident proof from the employer.
• Proof of annual income.
• Mark sheet and certificate of the last qualifying examination, that is, HSC.
• Bank account details.
• Higher Secondary School ID card issued by the concerned authority.
  • In the absence of the school ID card, any one of an admission receipt, library card or letter of undertaking from the Higher Secondary School authority.

Selection Process

Selection under the scheme is drawn purely on academic merit from the applications that schools have validated online.

• Students must first meet all the prescribed eligibility conditions for the Junior Merit Scholarship.
• The concerned Principal or Head of the Higher Secondary School/Institution will verify and authenticate the student's application and records online.
• The selection list will be prepared based on the percentage of marks obtained in the HSC examination.
• Eligible students will be arranged in descending order of merit.
• Students will be selected in order of merit until the available quota of 10,000 scholarships is reached.
• If two or more students have the same percentage of marks and the available quota is insufficient, the student with lower parental income will receive preference.
• Scholarships will be distributed between boys and girls in a 50:50 ratio, subject to the availability of eligible candidates.
• If sufficient eligible candidates are not available from one gender, the remaining scholarships can be awarded to eligible candidates from the other gender.
• For students whose qualifying examination uses the CBSE/ICSE grading system, CGPA will be converted into percentage using the formula Percentage (%) = CGPA × 9.5.

Steps to apply

Eligible students can apply online for the Odisha Junior Merit Scholarship through the Odisha State Scholarship Portal. Applicants must submit the scheme application form before the deadline. The last date to apply online for Junior Merit Scholarship for the 2026-27 academic year is 25 October 2026. The application process consists mainly of two stages, i.e.

• Online Registration.
• Online Application Form Submission.

Online Registration

• Applicants who are not registered need to first register at the Odisha State Scholarship Portal.
• For this, applicants need to visit the Odisha State Scholarship Portal.
• Select 'Student Login' under the 'Login' section from the home page.
• Click 'Register Here' and read all the details carefully.
• Tick the Checkbox to agree to the terms and press the 'Proceed' button.
• Provide the relevant details and complete the registration process.
• Upon registering successfully, applicants will receive login details through email.

Application Process

• Once registered, applicants can submit their Junior Merit Scholarship application form.
• For this, they need to visit the Odisha State Scholarship Portal.
• Tap on the "Apply Now" button available under the scheme name.
• Log in with your 'Aadhaar number' and 'Password'.
• Navigate to the 'Scheme and Eligibility' section from the dashboard.
• Tap on the 'Apply' button available in front of the scheme.
• Complete the Junior Merit Scholarship application form by providing the required details.
• Complete the mandatory Aadhaar authentication.
• Upload the necessary documents in the given size and format.
• Before final submission, preview the application form to ensure that all the details mentioned are correct.
• Submit the application form online on or before 25 October 2026.
• After submission, the concerned Principal or Head of the Higher Secondary School/Institution will verify and authenticate the application online.
• The Principal/Institution must complete the application validation by 31 October 2026.
• Applicants fulfilling the eligibility criteria and selected through the merit process will receive the scheme benefits.

Renewal Process

Students who have already received the scholarship in Class XI do not have to apply again for Class XII.

• Students who have already received the scholarship in Class XI do not need to submit a fresh application for Class XII.
• The scholarship is automatically renewable, subject to the student continuing in Class XII and online validation by the concerned institution.
• Names of students selected in the previous year are displayed in the Principal's login.
• The Principal authenticates online only those students who are continuing in the concerned academic year.
• Records of students who have dropped out or passed out from the Higher Secondary School are not validated for renewal.
• If a student discontinues studies, the scholarship is stopped from the subsequent year.
• The scholarship may also be cancelled if it is found that the student obtained it through false statements or fabricated documents.

Relevant Links

• Applicant Registration for Junior Merit Scholarship.
• Applicant login for Junior Merit Scholarship.
• Official guidelines for Junior Merit Scholarship, Odisha.
• Odisha State Scholarship Portal.

Contact Information

• Odisha State Scholarship Portal
  • Helpline Number: 155335
  • Toll Free Number: 18003456770
• Odisha Higher Education Department Contact Details