To ensure easy access to scholarships for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Backward Class (BC) students, the Punjab School Education Department (Secondary) has issued fresh directions to the District Education Officers and principals regarding the promotion of newly introduced “SETU” application.
Developed with the support of the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the SETU (Scholarship for Educational Transformation and Upliftment) app has been designed as a dedicated digital platform to simplify scholarship services for eligible students.
According to notification, the app has been integrated with the Government of India’s UMANG portal and will serve as a single-window gateway for students applying under various pre and post-matric scholarship schemes meant for the SC and BC category students.
Through the platform, students will be able to avail themselves of several services, including one-time registration, online submission of scholarship applications, document verification and tracking and transfer of scholarship funds into bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
Officials said the digital initiative would significantly reduce the inconvenience faced by students and parents who otherwise had to make repeated visits to government offices for scholarship-related work.
Now, applicants will be able to check their scholarship status anytime through mobile phones or computers, ensuring greater transparency, convenience and time-saving.
The Education Department has also directed all the District Education Officers and heads of schools to launch extensive awareness campaigns regarding the features and benefits of the SETU app.
To facilitate effective publicity, banners, QR codes and frequently asked questions (FAQs) have also been circulated along with the official communication.
The department emphasised that no eligible student should be deprived of scholarship benefits due to lack of awareness and instructed schools to ensure maximum outreach among students and parents.
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