The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) for the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles pays a monthly scholarship to the wards and widows of CAPF and AR personnel – Rs 3,000 a month for girls and Rs 2,500 a month for boys – for professional degree courses. It is funded from the National Defence Fund and run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The 2026-27 National Scholarship Portal window closes on 31 October 2026.
This scheme is not built around marks alone: it exists for families of personnel killed in action, disabled in service, decorated with gallantry awards, and for serving and retired PBOR ranks. A separate quota of the same scheme covers the wards of States and Union Territories police personnel martyred in terror or Naxal attacks, and that entry has its own closing date on the same portal.
Below are the exact amounts, who qualifies, which courses are covered, the document list and the selection order – all taken from the official NSP FAQ for PMSS and the portal’s 2026-27 dates.
PMSS for CAPF and Assam Rifles 2026-27 at a glance
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Ministry of Home Affairs (National Defence Fund), Government of India |
| Last date to apply | 31 October 2026 (student application on the National Scholarship Portal); institute verification 15 November 2026 |
| Official website | National Scholarship Portal, all schemes and 2026-27 closing dates (official) |
How much PMSS pays
The official FAQ gives one rate card for the scheme: Rs 3,000 per month for girl students and Rs 2,500 per month for boy students, paid annually, for a period of up to five years depending on the length of the course. That is Rs 36,000 a year for a girl and Rs 30,000 a year for a boy at the current rates.
The number of awards is capped every year. Under the fresh category the FAQ lists 2,000 scholarships – 1,000 for boys and 1,000 for girls – for CAPF and Assam Rifles applicants, and a further 500 (250 boys and 250 girls) for the States and Union Territories police category. The quotas are not interchangeable between genders.
Payment moves through PFMS into the student’s Aadhaar-seeded bank account. Students who already hold another scholarship or stipend are not eligible for PMSS.
Who is eligible for PMSS
The FAQ lists the applicant groups first, and then the academic bar:
- Wards and widows of CAPF and Assam Rifles personnel killed in action or who died for causes attributable to government service.
- Wards of disabled CAPF and AR personnel.
- Wards of personnel who have received a gallantry award.
- Wards of retired and serving CAPF and AR personnel in PBOR ranks.
- Wards of States and Union Territories police personnel martyred in terror or Naxal attacks – this group applies under its own NSP entry.
- For a fresh application you need at least 60 per cent in the minimum entry qualification – class 12, a diploma or graduation, depending on the course.
- For a renewal you have to pass each academic year with at least 50 per cent marks.
- The course must be a first professional degree recognised by AICTE, UGC, MCI or another regulator – BE, B.Tech, MBBS, BDS, BBA, BCA, B.Pharma, B.Sc Nursing and similar courses listed in Appendix-I of the guidelines.
Three exclusions catch people out. Only the first professional component of an integrated or dual degree is covered. Students studying abroad, or in colleges not recognised by UGC, AICTE or MCI, cannot apply. And a student who changes course, college or institute after selection loses the scholarship automatically.
Documents and how to apply
The whole process is online on the National Scholarship Portal – no hard copy is sent anywhere. Aadhaar or an Aadhaar Enrolment ID is mandatory; a minor applicant can use a parent’s Aadhaar.
- Register or log in on the National Scholarship Portal and pick the PMSS entry for Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles.
- Keep ready the service certificate in Annexure-A for serving personnel, and the PPO, discharge, death, disability or gallantry award certificate as applicable.
- Upload a bonafide certificate from the institution and a self-attested mark sheet of the minimum entry qualification.
- For the States and UTs police category, attach the certificate confirming martyrdom in a terror or Naxal attack issued by the state government.
- Submit before 31 October 2026; the institute has to verify the application and the documents online, and an unverified application is not processed.
Applications are selected in a fixed order: category preference, then percentage in the minimum entry qualification, then age (older applicants preferred), then the parent’s rank (lower rank preferred). Once submitted, the form cannot be edited – a student can withdraw and reapply before level-2 (Force Nodal Officer) verification. Lateral-entry students admitted directly into the second year, for example after a diploma, are eligible; admission into the second year through regular progression is not.
Important dates for 2026-27
| Portal opened for 2026-27 | 1 June 2026 |
| Last date for student application | 31 October 2026 |
| Defective application verification | 15 November 2026 |
| Institute verification | 15 November 2026 |
| DNO / SNO / MNO verification | 30 November 2026 |
For scheme clarifications the FAQ points to the respective CAPF, Assam Rifles or state police nodal officer, and to the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) in the Ministry of Home Affairs on 011-23063111 or [email protected]. Portal problems go to the NSP helpdesk.
Frequently asked questions
Rs 3,000 per month for girl students and Rs 2,500 per month for boy students, paid annually for up to five years depending on the duration of the course.
The official FAQ lists 2,000 fresh scholarships for CAPF and Assam Rifles – 1,000 for boys and 1,000 for girls – plus 500 for the States and Union Territories police category, split 250 for boys and 250 for girls. The gender quotas are not interchangeable.
A fresh applicant needs at least 60 per cent in the minimum entry qualification, which is class 12, a diploma or graduation depending on the course. Renewal requires passing each academic year with at least 50 per cent.
First professional degree courses recognised by AICTE, UGC, MCI or another regulator, such as BE, B.Tech, MBBS, BDS, BBA, BCA, B.Pharma and B.Sc Nursing. For integrated and dual degrees only the professional component is covered.
No. Applicants who are receiving any other scholarship or stipend are not eligible for PMSS.
Only two children per family are eligible under the scheme.
Yes, if the admission was through lateral entry, for example after a diploma in engineering. Admission into the second year through regular progression is not covered.
Official links: National Scholarship Portal – all schemes with 2026-27 closing dates, official PMSS FAQ (Ministry of Home Affairs / NSP), National Scholarship Portal home.
Browse more: National Scholarships, Graduation Scholarships, Engineering Scholarships.
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