Govt tightens ‘Taruner Swapna’ payout process, 20-point guideline issued

Kolkata: To ensure the foolproof disbursal of funds under the ‘Taruner Swapna’ scheme, the state School Education department has issued a detailed 20-point guideline for Class XI students to receive the Rs 10,000 incentive meant for purchasing tablets or smartphones.

The scheme provides financial assistance to help students purchase a tablet or smartphone. However, after many students failed to receive the amount last year due to incorrect account details and data mismatches, the state has now introduced a more rigorous system of checks and digital authentication.

According to the updated guidelines, all students enrolled in Class XI in government, government-aided, sponsored schools and madrasahs are eligible. However, they must now undergo a multi-layered verification process involving both school authorities and individual students.

Students are required to fill in a bank mandate form and submit it along with a copy of their Aadhaar card and bank passbook or a cancelled cheque. The bank account must be valid, functional and belong to an RBI-approved branch located within Bengal.

Heads of Institutions (HoIs) must upload the students’ bank details onto the Banglar Shiksha Portal (BSP). They are also required to verify these details by collecting student signatures on scroll sheets and re-entering the confirmed data into the system.

The submitted bank information is then forwarded for validation through the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Once verified, the account details become non-editable.

In the event of a mismatch, HoIs can edit the data and forward it to the Sub-Inspector of schools for further verification and approval.

Students with mismatched data will receive a link via SMS on their registered mobile number. They must log in to a self-declaration portal using a mobile OTP and BSP student code. Using an Aadhaar OTP, they must either confirm or reject the bank details.

Only verified accounts will be considered for DBT. After receiving the amount, students must submit an invoice showing the purchase of a device worth Rs 10,000 or more, along with the IMEI number. Schools will then upload these details to the BSP.