The Nagaland Directorate of Higher Education has officially begun the disbursement of post-matric scholarships for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students for the academic year 2024–2025, though the process will be carried out in phases due to a funding shortfall. The announcement was made during a press conference held at the Directorate’s office in Kohima on Tuesday, June 17. Addressing the media, Officials on Special Duty (OSDs) Keduosielie Keyho and Tol Pucho from the Department of Higher Education shared key details about the scholarship rollout. The scheme, which is part of the central government’s initiative to support higher education for tribal communities, follows a 90:10 funding ratio — 90% from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, and 10% from the Government of Nagaland.
As per the department’s data, a total of 41,793 students have been identified as eligible beneficiaries for the 2024–25 academic year. However, to fully fund scholarships for all these students, an estimated Rs 5,638.06 lakh is required. Currently, only Rs 3,070 lakh is available (Central Share: Rs 2,728.89 lakh and State Share: Rs 341.11 lakh), resulting in a shortfall that has made phase-wise disbursement necessary. In the first phase, the department will release full scholarship payments to 22,000 students, which accounts for approximately 52.64% of the total eligible applicants. These students have successfully completed the verification process on the scholarship portal and had their documents authenticated. So far, 30,451 applications have been verified, while 11,342 remain unauthenticated due to incomplete information or documentation discrepancies. The department has sent SMS alerts to these students, advising them on necessary steps to resolve authentication issues and become eligible in subsequent phases of disbursement.
OSD Keduosielie Keyho emphasized that students who missed verification should act immediately. “The department is working hard to ensure no deserving student is left behind. We are committed to disbursing the remaining amount once we receive the balance of the sanctioned funds,” he stated. In a major shift from previous years, this year’s scholarship disbursement will be processed entirely through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), replacing the earlier Public Financial Management System (PFMS). The transition is aimed at streamlining the process and ensuring faster, one-time, full disbursements to each eligible beneficiary. All payments will be made through Aadhaar-linked Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). Students are required to ensure their bank accounts are properly linked with Aadhaar to receive the funds without delay. “This shift to NSP is part of the Government of India’s broader strategy to achieve end-to-end digitisation, reduce manual errors, and bring in more transparency in the scholarship system,” said OSD Tol Pucho.
