State Minority Scholarship Part II (DHE) Maharashtra 2025-26: Rs. 5,000 for Minority Graduation and PG Students, Full Details

State Minority Scholarship Part II (DHE) Maharashtra 2025-26: The State Minority Scholarship Part II (DHE) is a post-matric scholarship by the Minority Development Department, Government of Maharashtra, implemented through the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE). It provides financial assistance to students from minority communities pursuing graduation and post-graduation in Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, and Education courses. The scholarship amount is the total annual course fee or Rs. 5,000, whichever is lower.

The most critical fact about this scheme that the existing article gets completely wrong: this scholarship is exclusively for students belonging to minority communities. It is not open to “all” communities with “no specific caste requirement” as the existing article states. The eligible minority communities are Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, and Jewish. If you do not belong to one of these communities, you cannot apply regardless of your income or academic record.

The second important detail that most guides miss: only 2,000 fresh applicants are selected per cycle. This is a fixed quota, making the scheme competitive despite the relatively modest scholarship amount. Understanding the selection mechanics (including a 30% reservation for girls) is important for applicants.

Applications are submitted through the MahaDBT portal at mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in.

Who This Scheme Is For (and Who It Is Not For)

This scheme has a very specific target audience. It is for students from the six notified minority communities plus the Jewish community: Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi (Zoroastrian), Jain, and Jews. These are the communities recognized as religious minorities under Indian law and Maharashtra state policy.

It covers non-professional, non-technical courses only. The eligible course categories are Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, and Education at the graduation and post-graduation level. If you are pursuing a professional or technical course like engineering, medicine, pharmacy, or management, this scheme does not apply to you. There are separate minority scholarship schemes under DTE (Directorate of Technical Education) and DMER (Directorate of Medical Education and Research) for professional and medical courses respectively, which offer higher scholarship amounts (up to Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 50,000).

The “(DHE)” in the scheme name stands for Directorate of Higher Education, indicating that this specific version of the minority scholarship covers higher education courses under DHE’s jurisdiction, not technical or medical courses.

Scholarship Amount

The scholarship amount is the total annual course fee or Rs. 5,000, whichever is lower. This is as per the Government Resolution dated 14 October 2011. In practical terms, if your annual course fee is Rs. 3,000, you get Rs. 3,000. If your annual course fee is Rs. 12,000, you get only Rs. 5,000 (the cap).

For students at government and aided colleges where annual fees for Arts, Commerce, and Science courses are typically low (often under Rs. 5,000), the scholarship may effectively cover the full fee. For students at unaided or self-financing colleges where fees are higher, the Rs. 5,000 cap means only a partial offset.

Eligibility Criteria

Every condition must be met simultaneously for the application to be accepted.

Minority Community

The applicant must belong to one of the following minority communities: Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, or Jewish. Proof of minority community status is required, either through an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper, a school leaving certificate that mentions the religion, or a self-declaration. The income certificate or affidavit must clearly and explicitly mention that the candidate belongs to a minority community.

Course and Level

The student must be pursuing graduation or post-graduation in Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, or Education courses. This is a non-professional, non-technical scholarship. Professional and technical courses have separate schemes.

Maharashtra Domicile

The student must be a domicile of Maharashtra State. A copy of the domicile certificate or election card is required as proof of permanent residence. Additionally, the student must have passed SSC (Class 10) from Maharashtra State.

Studying Within Maharashtra

Maharashtrian students studying outside the state of Maharashtra cannot apply for this scheme. You must be enrolled at an institution within Maharashtra.

Income Limit

The total annual income of the family or guardian must not exceed Rs. 8,00,000 (Rs. 8 lakh). An income certificate or affidavit is required as proof.

Children Per Family

Only two children from a family can avail this scheme. If a family has three or more children in higher education, only the first two can receive this scholarship.

No Other Scholarship

The applicant must not be availing any other scholarship or stipend. Dual scholarship receipt disqualifies the student.

Indian Citizenship

The applicant must be an Indian citizen.

Selection Process: The 70-30 Rule and the 2,000 Quota

This is the section that no other guide on this scheme explains, and it directly affects your chances of getting selected.

The scheme has a quota of 2,000 fresh applicants per cycle. This means from the entire pool of eligible applicants across Maharashtra, only 2,000 new students will be selected each year. Given that Maharashtra has a large minority population pursuing higher education, this quota makes the selection competitive.

The selection follows a specific 70-30 rule. First, a combined list of 70% of the available slots (1,400 students) is prepared based on merit and eligibility, regardless of gender. Then, a separate 30% allocation (600 slots) is reserved for girl students who were not already included in the 70% combined list. This means girls have two chances to get selected: once in the combined 70% pool, and again in the dedicated 30% girl reservation pool.

There is also an inter-community balancing mechanism. If the targeted amount of scholarship for a particular minority community is not achieved (for example, if fewer Buddhist students apply than allocated), the remaining scholarship is redistributed to students from other minority communities.

Documents Required

The following documents must be prepared for the MahaDBT application. Educational certificates from SSC (Class 10) onwards, including HSC and subsequent marksheets, are mandatory. An income certificate from the employer (if salaried) or an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper declaring income and minority community status is required. The income certificate or affidavit must explicitly state that the candidate belongs to a minority community. This single document serves a dual purpose: proving both income eligibility and minority status. Proof of permanent residence in Maharashtra, such as a domicile certificate or election card, is needed. For renewal applications, an income declaration and the marksheet of the previous examination are required.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through the MahaDBT portal at mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in.

Visit the portal and click on “New Applicant Registration” if you are a first-time applicant. Enter your details and complete the registration process. After registration, log in and navigate to the scholarship section. Select the Minority Development Department and then choose “State Minority Scholarship Part II (DHE)” from the scheme list. Fill in all required personal, academic, and financial details. Upload the required documents in the specified format. Review and submit the application before the deadline.

The application deadline for the current cycle is 31 March 2026.

How This Scheme Relates to Other Minority Scholarships on MahaDBT

Maharashtra offers multiple minority scholarship schemes on the MahaDBT portal, and understanding which one applies to you prevents applying to the wrong scheme.

The State Minority Scholarship Part II (DHE), which this article covers, is for non-professional courses (Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, Education) under the Directorate of Higher Education. The maximum amount is Rs. 5,000.

The Scholarship for Students of Minority Communities pursuing Higher and Professional Courses (DTE) is for professional and technical courses under the Directorate of Technical Education. The maximum amount is up to Rs. 50,000 per year (revised from Rs. 25,000 effective AY 2022-23).

The Scholarship for Students of Minority Communities pursuing Higher and Professional Courses (DMER) is for medical and health science courses under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research. The maximum amount is also up to Rs. 50,000.

If you are a minority student pursuing a B.Tech, you should apply under the DTE scheme, not this DHE scheme. If you are pursuing MBBS, apply under DMER. If you are pursuing B.A., B.Com, B.Sc, LLB, or B.Ed, this DHE Part II scheme is the correct one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this scholarship open to all communities?

No. This is exclusively for minority communities: Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, and Jewish students. It is not a general scholarship.

What is the actual scholarship amount?

The annual course fee or Rs. 5,000, whichever is lower. Most Arts/Commerce/Science students at government colleges will receive the full fee or close to it, since fees are typically low. Students at private colleges will receive only Rs. 5,000 regardless of their actual fee.

How many students are selected per year?

The fresh applicant quota is 2,000 per cycle. Selection follows a 70% combined merit list plus 30% reserved for girls.

Can I apply if I am studying outside Maharashtra?

No. Maharashtrian students studying outside the state are explicitly ineligible.

Is this for professional courses like engineering or medicine?

No. This scheme covers only Arts, Commerce, Science, Law, and Education courses. Professional and technical courses have separate, higher-value minority scholarship schemes under DTE and DMER.

Can I get this scholarship along with another one?

No. Students availing any other scholarship or stipend are not eligible.

How many children per family can get this?

Maximum two children per family.

Official Links and Contact

The MahaDBT application portal is at mahadbt.maharashtra.gov.in. The scheme is listed under the Minority Development Department section. For queries, contact the Minority Development Department through the MahaDBT helpline or the department’s office.