Chandigarh: With the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste (SC) students for the academic session 2026-27 already operational through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) since July 1, 2026, Punjab Minister for Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Dr. Baljit Kaur today directed district authorities to intensify awareness and facilitation efforts across the State to ensure that no eligible student is left out of the scheme due to lack of awareness, procedural hurdles or technical difficulties.
Reiterating the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government’s commitment to making higher education accessible, equitable and affordable for every deserving student, Dr. Baljit Kaur said the scholarship scheme is aimed at ensuring that financial constraints do not become a barrier to pursuing higher education. She urged all eligible Scheduled Caste students to submit their applications well before the prescribed deadline and avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme.
To provide prompt assistance under the new online application system, the Minister announced a dedicated support email—pms.nspqueries2026@gmail.com. She said students facing any technical or procedural issues while submitting their applications through the National Scholarship Portal may send their queries to the email, where they will be addressed on priority. The initiative has been introduced to ensure a smooth, transparent and student-friendly application process and to make certain that no deserving student misses the scholarship due to avoidable technical issues.
Taking a serious view of effective implementation at the grassroots level, Dr. Baljit Kaur directed all District Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Officers to organize intensive awareness-cum-facilitation camps across urban, rural and remote areas. She instructed the officers to proactively identify eligible students, guide them through every stage of the online application process and closely monitor the campaign to ensure that every deserving beneficiary is covered under the scheme.
The Minister further directed the Directors of the Departments of Higher Education, Medical Education and Research, Technical Education and Industrial Training, School Education and Animal Husbandry, along with all universities, colleges and other educational institutions, to extend full cooperation to students in completing and submitting their scholarship applications. She emphasized that coordinated efforts by all stakeholder departments and institutions are essential to achieving maximum coverage under the scheme.
To ensure transparency, accountability and timely processing of applications, the Department has issued the following implementation schedule for the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for the academic session 2026-27:
Implementation Schedule
– Scholarship Portal Operational From: July 1, 2026
– Last Date for Students to Submit Applications: November 15, 2026
– Deadline for Correction of Defective Applications: November 30, 2026
– Last Date for Institute-Level Verification: November 30, 2026
– Final Verification by DNO/SNO/MNO: December 15, 2026
Dr. Baljit Kaur reiterated that the Punjab Government remains committed to ensuring that every eligible Scheduled Caste student receives timely financial assistance to pursue higher education without financial constraints. She expressed confidence that the collective efforts of government departments, educational institutions and district authorities would ensure maximum outreach and that no deserving student is deprived of the benefits of the scholarship scheme.
