PM Scholarship for CAPF and Assam Rifles Wards 2026-27: up to ₹3,000 a month, apply by 30 November
The Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme supports wards and widows of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles personnel who study a first professional degree. It pays ₹3,000 a month to girls and ₹2,500 a month to boys. Applications for 2026-27 are open on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) until 30 November 2026.
Scoped update: 2 November 2026. The live NSP scheme list now shows this scheme with student applications till 30 November 2026, defective application and institute verification till 15 December 2026 and nodal verification till 31 December 2026. Our earlier version said 31 October, 15 November and 30 November. Original publication date unchanged.
Official publisher artwork, cropped by AiCoN to omit the national emblem. Original: https://scholarships.gov.in/. Independent guide, not affiliated or sponsored.
What does it give?
₹3,000 a month for girls (₹36,000 a year) and ₹2,500 a month for boys (₹30,000 a year), paid annually after selection, for up to five years depending on the course. Applicants selected as fresh cases also get a personal letter from the Prime Minister.
Who can apply?
| Who | Eligible wards or widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel in the listed service categories. There is no rank restriction for categories A-E. Retired/serving categories F/G are for personnel below officer rank; the guideline also includes wards of local-rank Assistant Commandants drawing Inspector salary without Assistant Commandant pay benefits. Wards of State or UT police personnel martyred in terror or Naxal attacks have a separate quota with no rank restriction. |
|---|---|
| Course | First professional degree such as BE, B.Tech, MBBS, BDS, BBA, BCA, B.Pharma, B.Sc (Nursing, Agriculture), B.Ed, MBA or MCA, recognised by the regulator. |
| Marks | At least 60% in the entry qualification. Renewal needs a pass with at least 50% each year. |
| Limit | Only two children per family. |
Key dates on NSP
| Scheme open | 1 June 2026 |
|---|---|
| Student application | Until 30 November 2026 |
| Institute verification and defective applications | Until 15 December 2026 |
| District, state or ministry verification | Until 31 December 2026 |
How are awardees picked?
The 2026-27 guideline lists category priority, marks in the entry qualification, higher candidate age, then lower parental rank. The guideline lists seven categories, from wards of personnel killed in action (Category A) down to wards of serving personnel (Category G, subject to availability). There are 2,000 fresh slots a year for CAPF and Assam Rifles wards, split equally between girls and boys, plus 500 for State police wards. A shortfall on one side is not moved to the other.
How to apply on NSP: step by step
Checked on the live National Scholarship Portal on 19 October 2026. NSP now uses One Time Registration (OTR) - do this first if you have never registered.
- Open scholarships.gov.in (Academic Year 2026-27 is live), click Students → Apply now, then Register. Registration is free - no fee is required.
- Read the OTR guidelines, tick the consent boxes and click Next. Register your active mobile number and verify it with the OTP; a reference number is sent to your mobile.
- Complete eKYC: install the NSP OTR app and the Aadhaar Face RD app on an Android phone and do face authentication with the reference number. Your OTR ID is then generated. Aadhaar is required; a minor without Aadhaar can register with a parent's or legal guardian's Aadhaar.
- Log in on NSP with your OTR ID, open Fresh Application for Academic Year 2026-27 and choose the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for CAPF and Assam Rifles wards from the scheme list.
- Fill the application form and upload the documents it lists.
- Submit before 30 November 2026. Track the application in the same dashboard; institute and district/state verification happen after you submit.
Steps 4-6 happen inside your own NSP login, so they are not shown as screenshots. Generating an OTR alone is not an application - you must still log in and submit the scholarship application.
Video guides
We searched YouTube on 19 October 2026 for a step-by-step application video for this scheme on the current NSP OTR portal in English and in Malayalam. The videos we found cover older portal versions or could not be verified to match the current portal, so we are not linking any rather than risk outdated or unrelated instructions.
A careful checklist
- Keep your category-specific documents and attested entry-qualification mark sheet ready: service certificate for serving personnel; PPO/discharge book for categories A-F; disability certificate for B/D; death certificate for A/C; gallantry certificate for E; and an institute bonafide certificate. State/UT police applicants need the State Government certificate confirming death in terror/Naxal violence.
- Generate your One-Time Registration (OTR) on scholarships.gov.in using the applicable Aadhaar/eKYC process. Ensure your Aadhaar-seeded bank account is valid and active for direct payment. The 2026-27 guideline says NSP does not collect bank details in fresh applications and sends payment to the selected beneficiary's Aadhaar-linked account.
- Apply under the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for CAPF and Assam Rifles before 30 November 2026.
- Ask your institute to verify before 15 December 2026.
We did not log in or apply. We read the live NSP scheme list and the 2026-27 MHA/WARB guideline published by CISF. Scholarship payment is annual, not a monthly bank deposit; selection and verification come first.
What is not covered?
This is for the listed uniformed/combat personnel categories, not civilian employees. Distance/correspondence courses, study abroad and diploma courses that do not lead to a degree are excluded. Master's courses are excluded except eligible MBA/MCA as a first professional course. Already using PMSS is an exclusion for another fresh award. Integrated courses have separate limits: the guideline covers B.Ed, not BA+B.Ed, and limits integrated ME/M.Tech/M.Pharma support to the initial three/four years.
The scheme is merit-based. The 2026-27 guideline permits one merit-based scholarship and one welfare-based scholarship, not more than one in either category. Check both schemes' rules before combining awards.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a scheme for school students?
No. This one is only for first professional degree courses.
Does 60% guarantee selection?
No. It is an entry threshold. Category priority, merit, verification and limited slots still apply.
Is renewal automatic?
No. Each later academic year must be passed with at least 50% and renewal documents must be verified. A one-year grace period for delayed renewal may be considered; do not treat that as an extended fresh-application deadline.
What changed from older guidance?
This guide now uses the official 2026-27 guideline rather than older 2020-21/2022-23 PDFs. It includes current ranking, Aadhaar-linked payment and scholarship-combination rules. Dates were checked on NSP on 10 October 2026.
Sources: NSP scheme list, 2026-27 MHA/WARB guideline published by CISF. Checked 10 October 2026; application steps and video search re-checked 19 October 2026. This is an AiCoN explainer, not a government publication.