Applications invited for NMMS scheme for school students

new delhi: the central government has invited applications from eligible school students for the national means-cum-merit scholarship (nmms) scheme, aimed at preventing school dropouts and encouraging students to continue their education beyond class 8.the scheme provides financial assistance to meritorious students from economically weaker sections, offering scholarships from class 9 to class 12. a total of one lakh students are selected annually, each receiving ₹1,000 per month or ₹12,000 per year. the scholarship is disbursed for a maximum of four years and is applicable only to students studying within india.to be eligible, students must have secured at least 55 per cent marks in class 8 from a government or government-aided school. for sc/st candidates, the minimum qualifying mark is 50 per cent. the annual parental income should not exceed ₹3.5 lakh.for continuation of the scholarship in class 11, students must secure a minimum of 60 per cent in class 10. for sc/st students, 55 per cent is sufficient. the scholarship is not applicable to diploma or certificate courses.candidates must appear for a written examination comprising two papers—mental ability test (mat) and scholastic aptitude test (sat)—each carrying 90 marks. questions will be based on class 7 and 8 syllabi in mathematics, science, and social science. a minimum of 40 per cent marks is required in each paper to qualify, while sc/st candidates need 32 per cent.there is no application fee. interested students can apply through the national scholarship portal at https://scholarships.gov.inand respective state portals. the last date to submit applications is august 31.for further details, visit https://scholarships.gov.in/all-scholarships.