StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scheme
The scheme is formally titled Financial Assistance for Education to the Wards of Beedi, Cine, IOMC and LSDM Workers, Post-Matric, and it is financed through the welfare cess collected on beedi, cine and mining products. It covers the children of workers in the beedi industry as defined under the Beedi Workers Welfare Fund Act, 1966; the cine industry, where the worker must be registered with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and have completed at least six months of service; and the iron ore, manganese ore and chrome ore mines (IOMC) and the limestone and dolomite mines (LSDM), under their respective welfare cess acts. Mica mines appear in some older listings of the scheme’s coverage; the 2026-27 scheme description used here names beedi, cine, IOMC and LSDM, and applicants from a mica-mining family should confirm their coverage on the portal before applying.
The pre-matric version of this assistance, for Classes 1 to 10, is a separate entry with its own window, which closed on 31 August 2026. This article covers only the post-matric version, for students from Class 11 onwards up to postgraduate and professional study. One summary figure needs care: some news reports describe the scheme’s benefits as ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000 a year. The Rs 1,000 end of that range belongs to the pre-matric version’s lower classes; the post-matric amounts in the table below start at Rs 3,000, and this article uses the post-matric table throughout.
Who can apply
- Be an Indian citizen and the ward of a registered worker, or of a deceased worker, in the beedi, cine, IOMC or LSDM sectors described above. Dependents of deceased workers are eligible where they were financially dependent on the worker.
- Have passed Class 10 at the first attempt, and be enrolled in a regular post-matric course — Class 11 onwards — at a recognised institution. Distance education courses are not eligible.
- Be pursuing a general or technical course such as medical, engineering, ITI or polytechnic study. Postgraduate courses are eligible only where they directly continue an undergraduate professional course, such as M.Tech after B.Tech, with proof of continuous enrolment.
- Meet the income limits: annual family income up to Rs 1,20,000 for beedi, IOMC and LSDM families, and up to Rs 96,000 for cine families. The parent must have at least six months of continuous service as an eligible worker, including qualifying contract and manual workers.
- Have secured at least 50% marks in the last examination. The listing notes this requirement may be relaxed for SC and ST students in certain cases, and that preference goes to applicants with higher marks and lower family income; the scheme’s FAQ adds that there is no strict cutoff beyond the first-attempt pass, with 50% holders given preference in selection.
- Not be receiving any other central or state scholarship for the same purpose. A maximum of two children from the same family may benefit, and students who change subject or professional stream midway, who fail or repeat a year, or who take a study gap of more than one academic year, lose eligibility.
Benefits
- Classes 11 and 12: Rs 3,000 a year
- ITI: Rs 6,000 a year
- Polytechnic diploma: Rs 6,000 a year
- Undergraduate degree, such as B.A., B.Sc. or B.Sc. Agriculture: Rs 6,000 a year
- Professional courses, such as MBBS, B.Tech, B.E. or Law: up to Rs 25,000 a year
The award is a lump sum covering tuition and maintenance together; no separate allowance is provided for hostel, books, uniforms or accommodation. It is disbursed in a single instalment by Direct Benefit Transfer to the student’s Aadhaar-linked bank account through the Public Finance Management System, after verification. A fresh application is required each academic year, although students who are promoted and continue to meet the conditions remain eligible, and family income must be re-verified every three years.
Documents needed
- Passport-size photograph
- Aadhaar card or alternative government-issued ID, such as voter ID or PAN card, for One-Time Registration and verification
- Parent’s worker identity proof: beedi worker ID or registration proof from the welfare board; cine registration certificate or ID from the Directorate of Film Festivals or the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, showing six months of service; IOMC or LSDM Form B register or ID from the Directorate General of Mines Safety or the welfare cess authority
- Income certificate, no more than six months old, from the Tehsildar or Revenue Officer, within the limits above
- Marksheets of the last qualifying examination — Class 10 for fresh applicants, the previous year for renewals — showing a first-attempt pass
- Admission proof: bonafide certificate or admission letter from a recognised institution for a regular post-matric course
- Bank account details: passbook front page or cancelled cheque, Aadhaar-linked, preferably in the student’s name or jointly with a parent
- Self-declaration certificate, via Aadhaar OTP on the portal, confirming the first-attempt pass, no other scholarship, and eligibility compliance
- Death certificate, if applicable, for wards of deceased workers
- Caste certificate, if applicable, for SC, ST or OBC applicants seeking relaxations
How to apply
- Visit the National Scholarship Portal and complete One-Time Registration, using Aadhaar, mobile number, OTP and face authentication through the portal app.
- Log in and navigate to Application, then Apply for Scholarship, then academic year 2026-27, then Ministry of Labour and Employment, then the scheme titled Financial Assistance for Education to the Wards of Beedi, Cine, IOMC and LSDM Workers, Post-Matric.
- Enter the required personal details, upload the Class 10 and previous-year marksheets, submit Form B for mines or the beedi licence as applicable, upload the income certificate, and provide Aadhaar-linked bank account information.
- Review every entry carefully before submitting, as no edits can be made after submission, and then track the application under Check Your Status. Submit on or before 31 October 2026; defective-application and institute verification run to 15 November 2026, and district, state and ministry verification to 30 November 2026.
For queries, the scheme’s FAQ gives the National Scholarship Portal helpline 0120-6619540, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the email helpdesk@nsp.gov.in; worker-status questions go to the Directorate General of Labour Welfare through the Ministry’s website or regional offices, or to the institution’s nodal officer.
FAQs
You can still apply if your parent was a registered worker at retirement or death and the family income remains within the limits, with proof of worker status and, for deceased workers, a death certificate.
No. The lump sum is designed to cover tuition, maintenance and incidental costs including hostel fees, within the awarded amount.
Yes. Up to two children from the same family can apply, each with a separate application; where funds are limited, priority goes to the elder child or the one with higher academic merit.
Log in to the portal, check the defective-application section, and upload the correct documents, with help from the portal helpline or your institution’s nodal officer, before the verification deadline.
Only where they directly continue an undergraduate professional course, such as M.Tech after B.Tech, with proof of continuous enrolment and the other conditions met.
31 October 2026 (now closed), for student applications on the National Scholarship Portal. The pre-matric version closed separately on 31 August 2026.
Verified 1 Nov 2026: Post-Matric assistance for wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM workers closed 31 Oct 2026 — Buddy4Study and the Times of India both state applications had to be completed on NSP by 31 Oct 2026 and late applications will not be considered for verification (institute verification to 15 Nov, DNO/SNO/MNO to 30 Nov 2026). No extension found.
