The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Union Ministry of Education, organised a one-day regional Orientation-cum-Review Workshop on the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on October 14, 2026. The workshop focused on reviewing the scheme's implementation progress, orienting officials on its operation through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), and addressing verification issues at Institute Nodal Officers (INOs) and District Nodal Officers (DNOs) levels.
Detailed presentations and interactive technical sessions covered NMMSS implementation for academic year 2026–27, including registration of fresh students, onboarding status, application verification process, live demonstration of NSP processes for INOs and DNOs, and feedback from NMMSS student awardees. The workshop was led by Economic Adviser, DoSEL, Ms. A. Srija, with participation from officials at state, district, and institute levels, including the Joint Director, Rashtriya Shiksha Kendra-cum-State Nodal Officer from Madhya Pradesh, approximately 40 District Nodal Officers, 5 Institute Nodal Officers from Bhopal district, and selected student beneficiaries with their guardians.
The Ministry emphasized the critical role of State Nodal Officers, DNOs, and INOs in ensuring accurate and timely verification of applications for academic year 2026–27, with registration deadline set for October 31, 2026. Verification deadlines are November 15, 2026 for INO level and November 30, 2026 for DNO level. The interaction allowed States/UTs to share implementation experiences, identify operational and technical challenges, and discuss measures to improve registration, verification, and scholarship delivery efficiency.
The workshop aimed to establish clear responsibilities at state, district, and institute levels and strengthen coordination among all stakeholders. The Ministry reiterated its commitment to achieving 100% scholarship saturation and zero dropouts among eligible beneficiaries under NMMSS. The NMMSS is a Central Sector Scheme providing ₹12,000 annual scholarship to meritorious students from economically weaker sections to reduce dropouts after Class VIII and encourage education continuation up to Class XII. Selection examinations are conducted by respective States/UTs, while registration, authentication, and scholarship disbursement are managed through the NSP.