Beedi, Mine & Cine Scholarship, Class 1 to 10: 30 Sep

This is one of the least-known scholarships on the National Scholarship Portal, and one of the few where what your parent does for a living is the qualification. It is run by the Ministry of Labour & Employment's Labour Welfare Organisation, not by a social justice or education ministry, which is part of why it rarely shows up in scholarship lists.

Whose children can apply

Either of your parents must be one of the following, with at least six months of service:

• A beedi worker
• A worker in iron ore, manganese ore or chrome ore mines (IOMC)
• A worker in limestone or dolomite mines (LSDM), or mica mines
• A cine worker

The guidelines say plainly that contract workers and Gharkhata — home-based — workers are included. That matters, because most beedi rolling in India is home-based work and families often assume it does not count.

The income limits

• Beedi workers: total family income from all sources not more than ₹10,000 a month
• Mine workers doing manual, unskilled, highly skilled or clerical work: eligible whatever the wages paid. The ₹10,000 a month limit applies only to those employed in a supervisory or managerial capacity
• Cine workers: not more than ₹8,000 a month, or ₹1,00,000 where the remuneration is paid as a lump sum or in instalments

The other conditions

• You must have passed your last qualifying examination in the first attempt. Students who have been promoted to the next class are also eligible to apply
• You must be studying in a Government or Government-recognised institution in India
• Correspondence courses do not qualify
• You cannot hold any other scholarship or stipend at the same time

What you get, class by class

These are the rates per year, enhanced with effect from the 2022-23 academic year:

• Class 1 to 4 — ₹1,000, meant for dress and books
• Class 5 to 8 — ₹1,500
• Class 9 — ₹2,000
• Class 10 — ₹2,000

The money is paid straight into the student's bank account by DBT. Every scholar needs a separate bank account — if it is a joint account, the student's name must be first — and a separate mobile number. If two children of the same worker apply, each needs their own account number.

After Class 10, the same scheme continues under a separate post-matric component with higher rates, up to ₹25,000 a year for professional courses. Its last date is 31 October, two months after this one.

When the scholarship can be taken back

The guidelines list this clearly, and the last item catches families out: the scholarship is cancelled if it was obtained on a false statement, if the student stops studying, if they change the course or institution without the Welfare Commissioner's prior approval, if attendance or progress is unsatisfactory — or if the parent stops being a beedi, mine or cine worker. If the money has already been paid when one of these is found, it is recovered from the student or the parents.

Documents to keep ready

• A photograph
• A copy of the worker parent's identity card. For mine workers, the Form B Register number
• Front page of the bank passbook or a cancelled cheque showing the account holder's details
• The passing certificate or marksheet of the previous academic year
• An income certificate issued by the Revenue Authority

How to apply

Apply on the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in before 30 September 2026. Do your One Time Registration first, then apply under the Ministry of Labour & Employment's financial assistance scheme for the wards of beedi, cine, IOMC and LSDM workers, and upload the documents above. Your school verifies the application on the portal, so submit early enough for that to happen.

If you are unsure whether your parent's employer is covered, the Labour Welfare Organisation's regional welfare commissioner office is the authority that decides it — the same office named in the cancellation rules above.

Dates checked on 17 September 2026. Deadlines in India move without notice, so confirm on the official portal linked above before you apply.