Students applying for central scholarship schemes for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will no longer be required to submit a domicile certificate, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has said.

The move is part of a wider effort by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment to simplify scholarship applications and reduce paperwork for students.

According to the Ministry, nearly 1.2 crore students benefit every year under the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes for SCs and OBCs. Until now, applicants were required to furnish a domicile certificate as part of the application process.

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The Ministry said the requirement has been removed to reduce the compliance burden on students and make it easier for eligible beneficiaries to access scholarship support.

"The removal of this requirement is expected to make the application process more student-friendly by reducing documentation, lowering compliance costs, and facilitating smoother access to scholarship benefits for eligible students," the Ministry said.

Scholarship services move to UMANG

As part of its digital governance initiatives, the Department has also launched the Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment (SETU) platform on UMANG.

The platform is designed as a single-window system for scholarship-related services and can be used by students, Institutional Nodal Officers, District Nodal Officers and state officials.

According to the Ministry, SETU will allow users to register applications, track their status and carry out validation-related processes through a unified interface, helping improve transparency and efficiency in scholarship administration.

What is a domicile certificate?

A domicile certificate is an official document issued by a state government to certify that a person is a permanent resident of that state or Union Territory. It is commonly used for accessing state-specific benefits such as educational quotas, government jobs, scholarships and welfare schemes.

The certificate is usually issued by authorities such as a Tehsildar, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) or District Magistrate.

Unlike a residence certificate, which establishes a person's current address, a domicile certificate is meant to prove long-term or permanent affiliation with a particular state

Published on: Jun 22, 2026 8:29 PM IST