Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 13: The Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) has achieved 94.3 per cent of its annual target for the academic session 2026–27 in Jammu and Kashmir, with 4,715 scholarships allotted against the target of 5,000, an official said on Tuesday.
PMSSS provides students of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh through the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) counselling process, an opportunity to pursue undergraduate studies in institutions outside these Union Territories, with financial support towards academic fees and maintenance expenses. The scheme aims to improve access to quality higher education, enhance skills and expand employment opportunities for youth.
During the current academic session 2026–27, 1,894 scholarships have been allotted under general degree courses against 2070, 2,741 scholarships under professional courses against 2,830 and 80 scholarships under medical and BDS courses against the target of 100, an official spokesman said.
He said the current achievement is significantly higher than the full-year figures recorded during the previous three academic sessions.
PMSSS had recorded 3,627 beneficiaries in 2023–24, 3,674 in 2024–25 and 3,585 in 2025–26. The current-year allotment is already 1,130 higher than the 2025–26 figure, registering an increase of around 31.5 per cent, the spokesman said.
He said the Higher Education Department, Government of J-K, has been facilitating and coordinating the implementation of PMSSS in the UT, including timely commencement of registration and counselling, besides facilitating through facilitation centres and facilitation-cum-document verification centres for students.
The department also plays an important role in the verification and review mechanism under the scheme through the UT-level review committee headed by the commissioner secretary, Higher Education Department, with the J-K director colleges as its member secretary, he said.
The spokesman said the accelerated progress during the current academic session reflects coordinated efforts of the Higher Education Department, concerned authorities and field-level facilitation mechanisms to ensure that eligible students are able to avail the benefits of PMSSS.
With 4,715 of the 5,000 scholarships already allotted, the scheme is expected to further strengthen access to quality higher education and expand educational opportunities for the youth of J-K, he said. |
