The Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) , under the Ministry of Education (MoE) , organised a one‑day national workshop on 10 March 2026 in New Delhi. The event brought together State/UT and District officers responsible for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) . The workshop aimed at strengthening scheme implementation in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 . Key Developments Chairmanship by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSEL with active participation of senior officials such as Ms. A. Srija (Economic Advisor) and Dr. Pankaj K P Shreyaskar (Deputy Director General, Statistics) . Review of State/UT performance focusing on quota utilisation, scholarship continuity for Classes IX‑XII and timely verification on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) . Demonstration of the upgraded UDISE+ platform as a real‑time, digital‑first tool for monitoring scholarship data. Technical sessions on PAO‑DBT module (PFMS‑MoF), Aadhar seeding of beneficiary accounts by NPCI , and best‑practice case studies from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Important Facts about NMMSS Target group: Students from economically weaker sections (parental income ≤ Rs 3,50,000 per annum ). Eligibility: Minimum 55 % marks in Class VII (relaxed by 5 % for SC/ST). Scholarship amount: Rs 12,000 per annum per student. Annual intake: One lakh fresh scholarships for Class IX; continuation/renewal up to Class XII for students in government, government‑aided and local‑body schools. Objective: Prevent dropout after Class VIII and promote secondary education among meritorious, low‑income students. UPSC Relevance The workshop illustrates the nexus between policy formulation (NEP 2020), implementation machinery (DoSEL, MoE) and technology‑enabled delivery (NSP, UDISE+, PAO‑DBT). Aspirants should note: How central sector schemes are monitored through digital dashboards – a recurring theme in GS 3 (Technology & Governance). The role of inter‑ministerial coordination (MoE, MoF, NPCI) in ensuring financial inclusion – relevant for questions on fiscal federalism and social welfare. Social justice dimension of scholarships for economically weaker sections – aligns with GS 2 topics on poverty alleviation and inclusive education. Way Forward To achieve the NEP 2020 vision, the following steps are recommended: Strengthen real‑time verification on the NSP by capacity‑building State Nodal Officers. Expand Aadhar‑linked bank seeding to eliminate payment delays, especially in remote districts. Leverage UDISE+ analytics to identify high‑risk dropout zones and target interventions. Encourage peer‑learning among states by documenting best practices and scaling successful models. Overall, the workshop underscores the government’s commitment to transparent, student‑centric delivery of scholarships, a critical lever for achieving universal secondary education as envisaged in the NEP 2020.