PMSS for CAPFs and Assam Rifles

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

Higher education can be difficult to afford for families who have lost their earning members while serving the country. To support these families, the Government of India provides financial assistance through the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for Wards of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR). The scheme started in the academic year 2006-07 to help eligible children and widows pursue higher technical and professional education. Every year, 2,000 fresh scholarships are awarded, including 1,000 for boys and 1,000 for girls, apart from renewals. Girls receive ₹36,000 per year, while boys receive ₹30,000 per year. The scholarship is provided for up to five years, depending on the course duration.

The scheme is funded through the National Defence Fund (NDF) and managed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) handles the application process. The scheme covers eligible personnel from CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB and Assam Rifles. Each force does not have a separate scholarship quota.

The main aim of the scheme is to help eligible children and widows continue their education without facing financial difficulties. Students can receive support for approved professional courses in fields such as engineering, medicine, pharmacy, nursing, agriculture, management, computer applications and law. The scholarship amount is transferred directly to the student's Aadhaar-linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Freshly selected students also receive a personal letter from the Prime Minister.

Applicants must belong to one of the seven eligible categories. These include families of personnel killed or disabled in action; personnel who died or became disabled due to reasons attributable to Government service; gallantry award recipients; and eligible serving or retired Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR). Category C specifically includes wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who died due to causes attributable to Government service, including death while performing election duty. Fresh applicants must have at least 60% marks in their qualifying examination, such as Class 12, Diploma or Graduation, depending on the course. For renewal, students must score at least 50% marks in each subsequent academic year. A maximum of two children per family can receive the scholarship, and there is no restriction based on marital status.

Eligible students can apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). First-time applicants must complete One-Time Registration (OTR), log in and fill out the scholarship application. They must also upload the required documents, such as their marksheet, service certificate and applicable death, disability or gallantry award certificates. The concerned educational institution and CAPF or Assam Rifles authorities verify the application before it is processed for selection and payment.

For help with eligibility, service certificates or application-related queries, applicants can contact the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB), Ministry of Home Affairs, at 011-23063111 or email [email protected]. They can also contact the welfare branch of their respective force for assistance with service-related documents.

Students and families may also explore other relevant scholarship programmes available on GovtSchemes.in. These include the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Wards of Martyred State/UT Police Personnel, which supports the higher education of children of police personnel martyred during terror or Naxal attacks, and the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Wards and Widows of Ex-Servicemen and Ex-Coast Guard Personnel, which provides financial assistance for professional education to eligible military and Coast Guard families.

Scheme Benefits

The Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for CAPFs and Assam Rifles provides financial support to eligible students pursuing higher technical and professional education. The main benefits offered under this scheme are as follows:

• Selected girls receive a scholarship of ₹3,000 per month (₹36,000 per year), while boys receive ₹2,500 per month (₹30,000 per year).
• A total of 2,000 fresh scholarships are awarded every academic year, including 1,000 scholarships for boys and 1,000 for girls, apart from renewal cases.
• The scholarship is provided for up to 5 years, depending on the duration of the approved professional degree course.
• Students can receive financial assistance for eligible professional courses in engineering, medicine, dental sciences, pharmacy, nursing, agriculture, management, computer applications, law and other approved fields.
• The scholarship amount is transferred directly to the selected student's Aadhaar-linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) using the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).
• Selected fresh applicants receive a personal appreciation letter from the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
• Scholarships are available to eligible wards and widows of CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel across the prescribed seven beneficiary categories, including families of personnel killed or disabled during service.
• Eligible students can apply irrespective of their marital status, and a maximum of two children per family can receive the scholarship.
• There is no separate scholarship quota for individual CAPFs or Assam Rifles forces.

Scholarship Amount and Duration

Under the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for CAPFs and Assam Rifles, selected students receive financial assistance every year to support their professional education. The scholarship amount is different for boys and girls, as explained below:

The scholarship is paid annually to the selected student's Aadhaar-linked bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) using the Public Financial Management System (PFMS).

Students can receive the scholarship for the full duration of their approved professional course, subject to the scheme's renewal conditions. The maximum scholarship period is five years. However, the duration may be shorter for certain courses, as specified in the scheme guidelines.

Eligibility Requirements

Students applying for the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for Wards of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) must fulfil the following eligibility conditions:

• Eligible Beneficiaries: The applicant must be a dependent ward or widow covered under one of the seven eligible categories (A to G) specified in the scheme guidelines.
  • Category A: Wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who were killed in action.
  • Category B: Wards of ex-CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who were disabled in action.
  • Category C: Wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who died due to causes attributable to Government service, including casualties during election duty.
  • Category D: Wards of ex-CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who were disabled while in service due to a disability attributable to Government service.
  • Category E: Wards of ex-CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel who received Gallantry Awards.
  • Category F: Wards of retired CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel belonging to the Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR) category.
  • Category G: Wards of serving CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel belonging to the PBOR category. Applicants under this category are considered only if scholarships remain available.
• Parental Rank: There is no parental rank restriction for applicants under Categories A to E. Categories F and G are restricted to eligible PBOR personnel.
• Professional Course: Applicants must be pursuing their first professional degree course listed in Appendix-I of the scheme guidelines. The course must be recognised by the relevant Government regulatory authority.
• Minimum Marks: Fresh applicants must have secured at least 60% marks in the Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ), such as Class 12, Diploma or Graduation, depending on the course.
• CBSE Students: For applicants who have passed Class 12 through CBSE, marks obtained in the best five subjects out of 500 are considered for calculating the qualifying percentage.
• Lateral Entry: Students admitted directly to the second year of a technical or professional bachelor's degree course, such as BE or B.Tech, through lateral entry after completing a Diploma are also eligible.
• Renewal Requirements: Students applying for renewal must pass each subsequent academic year of their professional course with at least 50% marks. A grace period of one year may be considered in cases where the applicant delays submitting the renewal application. However, this is not an automatic entitlement.
• Family Limit: A maximum of two children per family can receive the scholarship. Applicants are eligible irrespective of their marital status.
• Ineligible Applicants: Children of civilian employees of CAPFs and Assam Rifles are not eligible for this scheme.
• Course Restrictions: Students pursuing correspondence or distance-learning courses, diploma-only courses that do not lead to a degree, or studies abroad are not eligible. However, the permitted Diploma-based lateral-entry route into the second year of BE/B.Tech is allowed.

List of Eligible Courses Under PMSS

The PMSS for CAPFs and Assam Rifles supports students pursuing selected professional and technical degree courses. Applicants can apply only for courses included in Appendix-I of the scheme guidelines. The eligible courses are grouped below for easy reference:

The following conditions should also be kept in mind while choosing a course:

• The scholarship is generally available for the first professional degree course listed in Appendix-I of the scheme guidelines.
• The selected course and institution must fulfil the applicable recognition and approval requirements of the relevant regulatory authority, such as AICTE, UGC or the medical education regulator.
• Diploma-only courses are not covered. However, eligible students admitted directly to the second year of BE or B.Tech through lateral entry after completing a Diploma can apply.
• Correspondence and distance-learning courses are not eligible.
• Students pursuing their studies abroad cannot apply under this scheme.
• For Pharm D, the scholarship is provided for four years only.
• For integrated ME, M.Tech and M.Pharm courses, the scholarship is limited to the first three or four years, as applicable under the guidelines.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the necessary documents to verify their educational qualifications, family details and the service record of their parent. The documents required for a fresh application and scholarship renewal under the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for CAPFs and Assam Rifles are listed below:

Documents required for fresh applicants:

• Service Certificate (Annexure-A) issued by the Head of Office for wards of serving CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel.
• Attested marksheet of the Minimum Entry Qualification (MEQ), such as Class 12, Diploma or Graduation, depending on the selected course.
• PPO, discharge certificate or discharge book for applicants belonging to Categories A to F.
• Death certificate for applicants belonging to Categories A and C.
• Disability certificate for applicants belonging to Categories B and D.
• Gallantry Award certificate for applicants belonging to Category E.
• Aadhaar details and an Aadhaar-linked bank account in a bank with Core Banking or ECS facilities.
• Valid mobile number and email address for application-related communication.

Documents required for scholarship renewal:

• Bonafide Certificate issued by the Institute/College. Duly attested marksheet of the previous academic year's examination.
• Service Certificate (Annexure-A) for wards of serving CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel, wherever applicable.
• Marksheet of the previous academic year showing at least 50% marks.

Applicants should upload clear and readable scanned copies of the required documents while submitting their applications through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). The documents required may vary depending on the applicant's beneficiary category and whether the application is fresh or for renewal.

Steps to Apply

The application process for the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for CAPFs and Assam Rifles is completed online. Students can apply through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) by following the steps given below:

• First, open the National Scholarship Portal and select the Student section on the homepage.
• If you are applying for the first time, complete the One Time Registration (OTR). Select the OTR Registration option and read the instructions before proceeding.
• Enter the required details, including your Aadhaar number or Aadhaar Enrolment ID (EID), and provide an active mobile number. Complete the verification process as instructed on the portal.
• After receiving your OTR reference number, complete Aadhaar face authentication using the NSP OTR mobile app and the Aadhaar Face RD service. Your 14-digit OTR number will be generated after successful authentication.
• Return to the NSP homepage and select the option to apply for a scholarship. Log in using your OTR number and password.
• After logging in, choose the fresh application option and select the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Wards of Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles from the available schemes for the relevant academic year.
• Fill in the application form with your personal details, educational qualifications, bank account information and details of your parent or guardian's service category.
• Upload the required documents, including the Service Certificate (Annexure-A), marksheet and other category-related certificates, wherever applicable.
• Carefully check all the information entered in the form. Once you are sure that the details are correct, submit the application and save the application ID or registration details for future reference.
• After submission, your application will be verified by your college or institution and the concerned CAPF or Assam Rifles authorities. The Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) will process the applications for further consideration.
• Keep checking the application status through your NSP account. If any correction or additional document is requested, complete the required action within the given time.

Students who have already received the scholarship and are applying for another academic year should log in through their existing OTR account and select the renewal application option. They must provide their previous year's marksheet and other required details to continue receiving the scholarship.

For the 2026–27 academic year, the National Scholarship Portal currently lists 31 October 2026 as the last date for student applications under this scheme. Applicants should complete the process before the deadline and also check the portal for any official changes in the schedule.

Important Rules and Conditions

Before applying for the PMSS for CAPFs and Assam Rifles, students should understand a few important conditions. These rules apply during the application process as well as throughout the period for which the scholarship is received.

• A maximum of two children from one family can receive the scholarship under this scheme.
• Students who are already receiving another scholarship or stipend are not eligible to receive PMSS benefits at the same time.
• The scholarship is meant for eligible first professional degree courses listed in Appendix-I of the scheme guidelines.
• Students studying through correspondence or distance education, or pursuing courses abroad, are not eligible.
• Diploma-only courses are not covered, except for the permitted lateral-entry route into the second year of BE or B.Tech after a Diploma.
• Students must secure at least 50% marks in every subsequent academic year to continue receiving the scholarship through renewal.
• Once selected, students should not change their approved course or college. A course or institution change can lead to cancellation of the scholarship under the scheme guidelines.
• Providing incorrect information or submitting false documents can result in cancellation of the scholarship. The student may also be required to refund the scholarship amount with interest and can be blacklisted for five years.
• Students must maintain an Aadhaar-linked bank account to receive the scholarship through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
• Applicants must ensure that their chosen course and institution meet the recognition and approval requirements prescribed under the scheme.

Relevant Links

• Ministry of Home Affairs (Nodal Ministry)
• National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
• PMSS Guidelines for Academic Year 2025–26
• Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for Wards of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) Guidelines

Contact Information

Applicants who need assistance or clarification regarding the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for CAPFs and Assam Rifles can contact the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB), Ministry of Home Affairs.

National Scholarship Portal Phone

• Number: 0120 - 6619540 (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on all days, except government holidays)
• Email Address: [email protected]

Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB)
Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India

• Phone: 011-23063111
• Email: [email protected]
• Address: 8th Floor, NDCC-II Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi – 110001