Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram - Towards a Bright Future

A fully IT based Student Financial Aid Authority has been proposed through the 'Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram', to administer and monitor Scholarship as well Educational Loan Schemes, with a view to enable all poor and middle class students to pursue higher education of their choice without any constraint of funds.

Vidya Lakshmi Portal is a first of its kind portal for students seeking Education Loan. It provides single window electronic platform for students to access information and prepares applications for Educational Loans and Government Scholarships. It provides information on the following:

• Educational Loan Schemes of various Banks
• Common Educational Loan Application Form for Students
• Application for Education Loan to multiple Banks
• Facility for Banks to download Students Loan Applications
• Facility for Banks to upload loan processing status
• Facility for Students to email grievances/queries relating to Educational Loans to Banks
• Linkage to National Scholarship Portal for information and application for Government Scholarships

This initiative aims to bring on board all Banks providing Educational Loans. It is expected that students throughout the country will be benefited by this initiative of the Government, by making available a single window for access to various Educational Loan Schemes of all Banks. The portal has been developed and being maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited.

39 Banks have registered 70 Educational Loan Schemes on the Vidya Lakshmi Portal and integrated their system with the Portal for providing loan processing status to students.

The applicant must register and login to Vidya Lakshmi Portal and then fill-up the Common Education Loan Application Form (CELAF) by providing all the necessary details. CELAF is a single form which students can fill to apply for Educational Loan to multiple banks/schemes. This form is prescribed by Indian Banks Association (IBA) and accepted by all banks. It is provided on Vidya Lakshmi Portal. After filling the form, the applicant can search for Educational Loan and APPLY as per his/her needs, eligibility and convenience.

Alternatively, the applicant can also search for Educational Loan after login and apply for the suitable Educational Loan by filling the CELAF .

A student can apply to a maximum of three Banks through Vidya Lakshmi Portal using CELAF .

Guidelines for Registration on Vidya Lakshmi Portal

• Name - Please enter student name as mentioned on 10 th standard mark sheet or the mark sheet attached with your loan application.
• Mobile Number - Enter a valid mobile number. Student can provide mobile number of parent/guardian.
• Email ID - Enter a valid email ID. Email ID is not allowed to be changed later. All necessary communications will be sent on this email ID.

Various other unique measures have been taken to augment the quality and reach of education:

• 'Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Mission' for Teacher Training has been launched to enhance the quality of teaching.
• Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN) has been initiated to invite eminent faculty, scientists, and entrepreneurs from premier educational and scientific institutions across the world to teach in the higher educational institutions in the country during summer and winter breaks with a view to give international exposure to Indian students.
• SWAYAM will leverage Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to enable online education.
• National e-Library will facilitate universal access to educational material and knowledge sources.
• ShalaDarpan is a mobile technology to ensure that parents are connected to schools, enabling them to monitor the progress of their children.

• Vidya Lakshmi Portal
• Indian Banks Association
• NSDL e-Governance
• Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Mission
• Global Initiative of Academic Network
• SWAYAM
• ShalaDarpan
• National e-Library