Maharashtra set to reinstate old practice of state scholarship exams

The minister highlighted that for academic year 2025-26, the scholarship exams will be held for all classes.

Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE), Pune conducts Maharashtra State Scholarship Exam which assesses students for language, mathematics, science and general knowledge.

In a move aimed at expanding access to state-level academic support, the Maharashtra government has decided to revert its school-level scholarship exams to the original format for students of Classes 4 and 7, starting from the academic year 2025-26. However, in order to ensure a smooth transition, the exam will be conducted for four grades this year, Classes 4, 5, 7, and 8, making it the first time that students across all these standards will appear for the scholarship exam in the same academic cycle.

School Education Minister Dada Bhuse on Wednesday said the decision is finalised and soon it will be declared officially through a Government Resolution. “Most government-run and aided schools, especially those in rural areas which are run by local government bodies, are until either Class 4 or Class 7. As a result, these students were missing out on their chance to receive benefits of the state-level scholarship exams, following the decision to hold these exams for Classes 5 and 8. As a result, the state has received multiple representations to bring back the original structure, after which it is decided to reinstate the old practice,” said Bhuse.

The minister highlighted that for academic year 2025-26, the scholarship exams will be held for all classes, “because this is transition year and we want to ensure that nobody misses out on their chance to appear for school-level scholarship exams,” said Bhuse, adding that an official declaration will follow soon so that students have adequate time to prepare for the exams.

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Maharashtra State Council of Examinations (MSCE), Pune conducts Maharashtra State Scholarship Exam which assesses students for language, mathematics, science and general knowledge. Traditionally, these exams have been conducted for Classes 4 and 7 students of Maharashtra State Board. But from 2016, classes for the scholarship exam were changed by the then government to Classes 5 and 8.

Apart from changing the grades for scholarship exams, Maharashtra is also planning to increase the number of students who will be able to obtain benefits of the exams, which is financial assistance for future academics. “Currently there is a cap of 16,000 students who can be declared as meritorious after the state-scholarship exams and financial assistance is provided to them. State plans to extend this cap,” said Bhuse.

His department is in talks with other departments of government such as Social Justice, Tribal Development and Other Backward Classes (OBC) to include them in providing financial assistance to children from specific categories. The school education department believes that with shared expenses, the number of total beneficiaries can be increased.

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