The Swami Vivekananda Merit‑cum‑Means Scholarship (SVMCM), which is meant for students in West Bengal, has set a new rule. Now, for the renewal of the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship, students have to submit the Utilisation Certificate. This is now mandatory for all students in the scholarship renewal process.
This year’s budget plans to implement measures that will facilitate easier monitoring of scholarship fund usage. Only expenses related to education will be accepted as proof of scholarship money usage by the students, such as tuition fees, books, or hostel costs.
What Is the Utilisation Certificate?
The Utilisation Certificate (UC) is a paper of proof that demonstrates last year’s awarded scholarship money was indeed spent on education. This certificate clarifies that the scholarship amount has been spent on educational purposes and expenses such as tuition, books, other fees related to education, etc.
Moreover, it also verifies that the student is still in the enrollment and attendance record of that institution. It also checks whether the student is receiving multiple scholarships at the same time. If a student omits this certificate, the renewal process will not be granted, and the scholarship funds will not be released.
How to Get the Utilisation Certificate and Use It for Renewal?
There is a significant change in the renewal procedure of the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship. Students have to follow the mentioned steps as per the guidelines from the scholarship authority:
1. First of all, go to the official SVMCM portal, svmcm.wb.gov.in, and log in (with your past credentials).
2. Then, navigate to the “Renewal Application” section, where you can see the option to “Download Utilisation Certificate.”
3. The PDF will be downloaded, printed, and then taken to your college or institution. The head (principal or relevant authority) should be asked to sign and stamp it.
4. The signed certificate will then be scanned and uploaded back to the application under the “Documents” or “Certificate Upload” section.
Students should not wait for the last moment; rather, they should complete the entire process as soon as possible to steer clear of server trouble or any delay.
The Reason Behind This Change
In the past years, the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship renewal procedure required only mark sheets and admission receipts. Nevertheless, some students exploited the funds by enrolling in multiple courses or receiving scholarship money without attending classes. To prevent such malpractices and guarantee that only eligible and deserving students would be in the scholarship program, the government decided to introduce the Utilisation Certificate as a compulsory verification.
This additional requirement makes the entire process of the scholarship scheme more obstructive. Only those students who are currently attending full-time classes and whose education is funded through the scholarship will be able to get the renewed scholarship.
