The scheme “Ashramshalas (Grant in Aid)” was launched by the Tribal Development Department, Government of Gujarat. The scheme aims to provide comprehensive educational support to Scheduled Tribe students who cannot afford education due to weak economic conditions, addressing the issue of children being forced into traditional occupations or other jobs to support their families instead of attending school. The scheme provides residential schooling facilities with complete boarding and lodging arrangements, where tribal students receive free education, hostel facilities, books, food, and items of daily necessity through 100% grant-in-aid to Non-Governmental Organizations operating these schools across standards 1st to 12th.

Benefits

Financial Grant to Ashramshalas
A grant of ₹1,500/- per month is provided to the Ashramshala for every enrolled child to cover all expenses related to education, boarding, and lodging.
*The grant is provided on a monthly basis to the Ashramshalas for continuous support of enrolled students.

Benefits Provided to Students

• Free education without any tuition fees.
• Free hostel facilities and accommodation.
• Free books and educational materials.
• Free food and meals.
• Items of daily necessity free of cost.

*All benefits (education, boarding, lodging, food, books, and daily necessities) are provided continuously throughout the academic year.

Conditions

• The Ashramshala must maintain the minimum enrollment requirements as specified in the eligibility criteria.
• The Ashramshala must continue to provide all stipulated facilities (education, boarding, lodging, food, books, and daily necessities) to the enrolled students.
• The Ashramshala must comply with all regulations and guidelines set by the Tribal Development Department, Government of Gujarat.

Eligibility

For Ashramshalas (Educational Institutions)

• The Ashramshala must enrol a minimum of 15 boys and 15 girls for the first time on inception.
• The Ashramshala must enrol a minimum of 10 boys and 10 girls every year till 7th standard after the inception year.
• The Ashramshala must be operated by a Non-Governmental Organization working in tribal areas.
• The Ashramshala must be located within any district of Gujarat.
• The Ashramshala must provide education for standards 1st to 8th (Ashramshala), standards 9th to 10th (Uttar Buniyadi Ashramshala), or standards 11th to 12th (Uchchattar Uttar Buniyadi Ashramshala).

For Students (Beneficiaries)

• The applicant must belong to the Scheduled Tribe category.
• The applicant must be seeking admission to an Ashramshala for education from standard 1st to standard 12th.

Application Process

Link: https://tribal.gujarat.gov.in/application-forms

Offline
Step 1: The interested applicant should take a printout of the prescribed format of the application form. Alternatively, the interested applicant may visit the Tribal Development Department, Govt. of Gujarat, and request the hard copy of the prescribed format of the application form from the designated staff.
Step 2: In the application form, fill in all the mandatory fields and attach copies of all the mandatory documents (self-attest, if required). Prepare a detailed proposal outlining your organization’s capabilities, infrastructure facilities, proposed location, staff arrangements, and plan for providing education, boarding, and lodging to Scheduled Tribe students. Submit the completed application form along with the comprehensive proposal and all supporting documents to the Tribal Development Department.

Inspection and Approval

The Tribal Development Department will conduct an inspection of the proposed Ashramshala premises to verify the infrastructure, facilities, and readiness to operate the residential school. Cooperate fully during the inspection and provide any additional information or clarification requested by the inspection team. Upon successful verification and approval, the Tribal Development Department will issue a formal sanction letter approving the grant-in-aid with terms and conditions, grant amount of ₹1,500/- per month per student, and guidelines for operation.

Documents Required

• Registration Certificate of the Non-Governmental Organization.
• Recognition Certificate from the Education Department or Appropriate Authority.
• List of Enrolled Students with Complete Details (including names, gender, standard, and Scheduled Tribe certificate numbers).
• Bank Account Details of the Non-Governmental Organization (for direct benefit transfer of grant amounts).
• Infrastructure Details and Facilities Available (hostel capacity, classrooms, kitchen facilities, etc.).
• Staff Details (teachers, wardens, support staff with qualifications and appointments).
• Utilization Certificate of Previous Grant (if applicable, for renewal or continuation of grant).