PRAYAGRAJ, Oct. 24 -- As many as 1,74,662 students studying in Class 8 in government-run, government-aided, local body and basic education council-run schools across Uttar Pradesh will appear for the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship (NMMS) examination on November 1. Officials informed that the examination will be held at 509 centres across all 75 districts of the state. The admit cards for the examination were released for download on Friday. The Examination Regulatory Authority, UP, has completed all preparations for the test to be held across the state, its secretary Rajendra Pratap said. With 15,143 scholarships available for Uttar Pradesh, more than 11 students are competing for each scholarship on average, reflecting the high demand for financial assistance among schoolchildren. Successful candidates will receive a scholarship of Rs.1,000 per month from Class 9 to Class 12, with the amount transferred directly to their bank accounts by the Union education ministry's department of school education and literacy, he added. Among the districts, Aligarh has the highest number of applicants, with 9,402 students assigned to 30 examination centres. Kaushambi has 6,959 applicants and 20 centres, while Prayagraj has 6,483 candidates and 19 centres. Jaunpur has 4,618 candidates at 10 centres, followed by Lucknow with 3,197 candidates at nine centres. In the neighbouring districts of the Prayagraj region, Pratapgarh has 1,933 applicants assigned to four centres. The district-wise arrangements have been made to accommodate candidates across the state, with examination centres located in government and other inter colleges. The official centre list includes institutions in urban areas as well as smaller towns and rural locations. The NMMS scheme aims to support meritorious students from economically weaker sections and help reduce school dropouts by providing financial assistance for continued education at the secondary and senior secondary levels....