Scheme of Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary and other Organizations Working for Scheduled Castes

It must be registered under the Societies Registration…

It must be registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 (XXI of 1860), or an equivalent State/Union Territory law.

It may instead be a public trust registered…

It may instead be a public trust registered under applicable law.

It may be a charitable company licensed under…

It may be a charitable company licensed under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.

It may be the Indian Red Cross Society…

It may be the Indian Red Cross Society or one of its branches.

It may be any other public body or…

It may be any other public body or institution holding legal status.

Voluntary organisations must generally have been registered for…

Voluntary organisations must generally have been registered for at least three years before applying, though the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, may waive this in exceptional, documented cases.

Voluntary organisations must have at least 60% Scheduled…

Voluntary organisations must have at least 60% Scheduled Caste beneficiaries.

Other organisations or training institutions may qualify if…

Other organisations or training institutions may qualify if approved by the Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The NGO/VO must have operated a bank account in its own name for the preceding three years.
It must not function for the profit of any individual or group, except in the case of reputed training institutions. The following criteria would be kept in view while selecting new VOs/NGOs

At least two years of relevant field experience

At least two years of relevant field experience.

Demonstrated aptitude and experience in welfare work for…

Demonstrated aptitude and experience in welfare work for weaker sections.

Residential and non-residential school projects proposed by the…

Residential and non-residential school projects proposed by the organisation should be located in:
Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs); or
Service-deficient blocks with a 40% SC population; or
Backward districts identified by the Planning Commission; or
Integrated Action Plan districts identified by the Government of India.

The organisation's financial capacity to contribute its own…

The organisation's financial capacity to contribute its own share and sustain the work for limited periods without Ministry assistance.

Its overall reputation and credentials

Its overall reputation and credentials.

Its ability to mobilise the community

Its ability to mobilise the community.

Its networking with other institutions to make optimal…

Its networking with other institutions to make optimal use of allocated resources and assets created.

Educational Initiatives:

Support for opening hostels, residential schools, ITIs, arts-and-crafts centres, or other income-generating educational ventures.

Tuition Fee Support:

Covering tuition costs for information-technology training at institutions of repute selected by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

Childcare Services:

Running Balwadis and Bal Kendras (crèches) for the care of underprivileged Scheduled Caste children.

Healthcare Facilities:

Providing medical care to Scheduled Castes through hospitals or mobile dispensaries; a ten-bed hospital is recommended to engage a visiting specialist (paediatrician/gynaecologist), with monthly expenditure for this capped at ₹10,000, paid at ₹1,000 per visit/day.

Awareness and Support:

Building awareness of government programmes and helping beneficiaries access facilities such as legal aid, scholarships, loans, grants, and other client services.

Grievance Redressal:

Assisting beneficiaries in pursuing grievances before the appropriate judicial or administrative forums.

Coaching and Advocacy:

Running coaching centres for entrance and competitive service examinations not already covered under the Coaching Scheme for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes, and taking up human-rights, environmental, and consumer-protection issues.

NGO Capacity Building:

Training NGOs in accounting, management, and application procedures.

Related Activities:

Any other activity in keeping with the objectives above.

Accountancy Support:

Assistance with account-keeping for schemes such as MGNREGA and others.

An application in the prescribed proforma, with all…

An application in the prescribed proforma, with all required documents.

A Utilisation Certificate for the last grant released,…

A Utilisation Certificate for the last grant released, in the GFR-19A format, along with audited or unaudited accounts for the previous year showing expenditure against each sanctioned item versus the grant sanctioned.

Budget estimates for the financial year for which…

Budget estimates for the financial year for which grant-in-aid is sought.

An Annual Report giving the previous year's project…

An Annual Report giving the previous year's project performance data (not required for new proposals). For the Release of the Second Instalment Release depends on submission of the audited statement of accounts, a utilisation certificate, an inspection report from the prescribed agency, and a recommendation from the State/UT Grant-in-Aid Committee. Agreement Bond The grant-in-aid is released only after the grantee organisation executes an Agreement Bond in the prescribed format. Maintenance of Separate Accounts Grant funds must be kept in accounts distinct from the organisation's other funds. Register of Assets A Register of Assets, in the GFR-prescribed format, covering all permanent-value assets, machinery, and equipment with a life of five years or more and a unit cost of Rs. 10,000 or above. Submission of Audited Accounts At the close of each financial year, the aided organisation must submit audited statements of accounts along with a utilisation certificate for all expenditure incurred. Statement of Equipment/Machinery A GFR-format statement detailing equipment and machinery purchased from the grant, along with their prices.