Thiruvananthapuram: Beneficiaries of any other scholarship distributed by departments or institutions under the Central or State governments will not be eligible for the ‘Chief Minister’s Connect to Work’ scholarship scheme. The Kerala Government has launched the scheme for youngsters preparing for competitive examinations — including UPSC and PSC — as well as those undergoing skill-training programmes. Those who receive social welfare pension, service pension, welfare board pension, or family pension from various boards also cannot apply for the new scheme.

These conditions are mentioned in the guidelines for the ‘Connect to Work’ scheme, which provides a monthly allowance of ₹1,000 to beneficiaries.

As per the guidelines, applicants should be permanent residents of Kerala, aged 18 to 30, and have a total annual family income not exceeding ₹5 lakh.

The first five lakh eligible applicants will be selected for the scholarship, which will be given for a maximum period of 12 months. Scholarship amounts disbursed to ineligible applicants will be recovered with 18 per cent interest. The monthly payment will be discontinued if the beneficiaries secure employment during the scholarship period.
The scheme will be implemented by the respective District Employment Officers. Applications must be submitted online.