UGC Scholarship – University Grants Commission (UGC), a renowned statutory body established under the Ministry of Human Resource Development by the government of India, offers a number of scholarships for students across the nation to help them pursue their education at a higher level.
A UGC scholarship majorly focuses on providing financial aid for college and university-level studies. Both meritorious and underserved students can avail of these scholarships.
This article will provide insight into the key UGC scholarships, their application timeline, eligibility criteria, the application process, rewards and much more.
UGC Scholarship – The Complete List
The University Grants Commission offers both UGC scholarships and fellowships catering for the needs of over 20,000 students every year. Find out all about them in the section mentioned below that contains a comprehensive list of all UGC scholarships and fellowships.
Post Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship Scheme for Single Girl Child
Application Period*: Between August and November
No. of Scholarships: 3,000
Category: Open for all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The scholarship is open for girl students only with a maximum age limit of 30 years.
- The applicant should be the single girl child of the family.
- The applicant must have secured admission in the first year of a regular, full-time PG course at a recognised university or college.
Rewards: INR 36,200 per annum for a period of 2 years
How to Apply?
Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
Post Graduate Merit Scholarship for University Rank Holder
Application Period*: Between August and November
No. of Scholarships: 3,000
Category: Open for all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The students who have completed their graduation in the following streams can apply –
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- Life Sciences
- Chemical Sciences
- Physical Sciences
- Mathematical Sciences
- Earth Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Languages
- Commerce
- The students must be first or second-rank holders at the undergraduate level and enrolled in a full-time, regular master’s degree program at a recognised university/college.
- The age of the applicant must not be more than 30 years at the time of admission in the PG course.
- The minimum percentage of marks to be obtained by the student in graduation is 60%.
Rewards: INR 3,100 per month for a period of 2 years
How to Apply?
Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal.
Post Graduate Scholarships for Professional Courses for SC/ST Candidates
Application Period*: Between August and November
No. of Scholarships: 1,000
Category: SC/ST
Eligibility Criteria:
- The scholarship is open for students who are pursuing the first year of the professional course at the postgraduate level during the current year from a recognised university/institution/college.
- The courses approved by leading regulatory bodies like MCI, NCTE, Bar Council of India, NCTIS, RCI, DCI, PCI, AICTE, Development Authority of India, Forensic Regulatory, INC and ICAR are considered professional courses for which the scholarship is applicable.
Rewards
- INR 7,800 per month for a period of 2 years for ME/MTech students.
- INR 4,500 per month for a period of 2 years for other professional courses.
How to Apply?
Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal.
Special Scholarship Scheme Ishan Uday for NER
Application Period*: Between August and November
No. of Scholarships: 10,000
Category: For all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The scholarship is open for students having domicile in the North Eastern Region (NER) state who have completed their class 12th or equivalent.
- The student must have secured admission in a technical, professional or general degree course at a recognised institute/college/university.
- The annual income of the family should not exceed INR 4.5 Lakh.
Rewards
- Students pursuing general degree courses will receive INR 5,400 per month.
- Students pursuing technical/ professional/ medical courses will receive INR 7,800 per month.
Note: The scholarship award is tenable for one year which can be renewed each year for the degree course subject to good conduct and maintenance of prescribed attendance of the candidates.
How to Apply?
Apply online through the National Scholarship Portal.
Swami Vivekananda Single Girl Child Scholarship for Research in Social Sciences
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: NA
Category: For all
Eligibility
- The scholarship is open for single girl children only.
- The applicant must be pursuing a regular, full-time PhD programme in Social Sciences at a recognised Indian University/ Institution/ College.
- The maximum age limit for general category applicants is 40 years and 45 years for SC/ST/OBC and PwD.
- The students pursuing their PhD through distance education cannot apply for this scholarship.
- The scholarship is also open for transgender candidates.
Rewards
- Fellowship of INR 25,000 per month for the initial 2 years and INR 28,000 per month for the remaining tenure.
- A contingency grant of INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and IR 20,500 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Escort and reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for persons with disabilities).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
Emeritus Fellowship
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 200
Category: For all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The fellowship is open to highly qualified, superannuated and experienced teachers of recognised institutions/colleges/ universities.
- The applicant must have contributed to his/her service career with quality research and published work.
- The fellowship allows the awardee to work with a well-defined time-bound action plan up to the age of 70 years.
Rewards
- An honorarium of INR 31,000 per month for 2 years.
- A contingency of INR 50,000 per annum
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
Dr. S. Radharkrishnan Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Humanities and Social Sciences
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 200
Category: For all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The fellowship is open for unemployed young researchers who are below 35 years of age before the deadline for the submission of online applications. (Note: Relaxation of 5 years is available for SC, ST, OBC, PwD and Women candidates).
- The minimum percentage of marks to be obtained by general category students at UG level is 55% marks and at the PG level is 60% marks. (Note: For reserved categories including SC, ST, OBC and PwD, a relaxation of 5% is given).
- The fellowship is also open for transgender candidates.
Rewards
- Fellowship of INR 38,800 for the first year, INR 40,300 for the second year and INR 41,900 for the third year.
- A contingency of INR 50,000 per annum for 3 years.
- Escorts and readers assistance of INR 2,000 per month for PwD (Persons with Disabilities) candidates.
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
Dr. D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme
Application Period*: Runs throughout the year
No. of Scholarships: NA
Category: For all
Eligibility Criteria:
- The fellowship is open for aspirants below 35 years of age who hold a PhD degree under the science faculty. (Note: A relaxation of up to 3, 5 and 10 years will be given to SC, ST, OBC, Women and PwD candidates).
- Teachers, who are working on a confirmed post and are below 35 years of age can also apply.
- The previous applicants of the fellowship can also apply if they were declared unsuccessful.
Rewards
- Normal Fellowship of INR 43,400, INR 45,000 and INR 46,500 for the first, second and third year respectively.
- Higher fellowship of INR 46,500 for the first, second and third years.
- Contingency grant of INR 1 Lakh per annum.
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of the fellowship.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship to Women Candidates
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 100
Category: For all
Eligibility
- The fellowship is applicable to women candidates only who are unemployed and hold a PhD degree.
- The age of the applicant should not be more than 55 years (Note: A relaxation of 5 years in age is given to SC, ST, OBC, and PwD candidates).
- The minimum percentage of marks obtained by general category applicants at UG level is 55% and at PG level is 60% (Note: A relaxation of 5% in the minimum percentage of marks is given to SC, ST, OBC, and PwD candidates).
- Transgender candidates can also apply for this scheme.
Rewards
- Fellowship of INR 38,800 per month for the first 2 years and INR 46,500 per month after two years.
- A contingency of INR 50,000 per annum for 5 years.
- Escorts and reader allowance of INR 2,000 per month (for PwD applicants).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
Post-Doctoral Fellowship to SC/ST Candidates
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 100
Category: SC/ST
Eligibility Criteria:
- The fellowship is open for unemployed candidates who have a PhD degree in the relevant subject.
- The maximum age limit for male applicants is 50 years while for female applicants is 55 years.
- The applicants should have scored 50% marks at the UG level and 55% marks at the PG level.
- Transgender candidates can also apply.
Rewards
- Fellowship of INR 38,800 per month for the first 2 years and INR 46,500 per month after two years.
- A contingency of INR 50,000 per annum for 5 years.
- Escorts and reader allowance of INR 2,000 per month (for PwD applicants).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 2,000
Category: SC
Eligibility Criteria:
- The students who have passed their postgraduation examination and have registered for an M.Phil./PhD course can apply for this fellowship.
- The fellowship is open for transgender candidates.
Rewards
- Fellowship in Social Sciences, Humanities and Sciences include JRF of INR 25,000 per month for the initial two years and SRF of INR 28,000 per month for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency for Humanities and Social Sciences is INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 20,500 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Contingency for Science, Engineering & Technology is INR 12,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 25,000 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Escorts and reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for blind and physically handicapped students).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
National Fellowship for Higher Education of ST Students
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 750
Category: ST
Eligibility Criteria:
- Students having a postgraduate degree are eligible for the fellowship.
- The applicant must be registered in a full-time regular M.Phil./PhD course at a university/college/institution recognised by UGC.
Rewards
- Fellowship in Social Sciences, Humanities and Sciences include JRF of INR 25,000 per month for the initial two years and SRF of INR 28,000 per month for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency for Humanities and Social Sciences is INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 20,500 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Contingency for Science, Engineering & Technology is INR 12,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 25,000 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Escorts and reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for blind and physically handicapped students).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
National Fellowship for Persons with Disabilities
Application Period*: Between January and February
No. of Scholarships: 200
Category: For all
Eligibility Criteria: The fellowship is open for students with disabilities who have been enrolled in a PhD/MPhil programme at a University or academic institution.
Rewards
- Monthly stipend of INR 16,000 for initial 2 years and for remaining tenure INR 18,000 per month.
- The contingency allowance for Humanities, Commerce and Social Science is INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 20,500 for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency allowance for Science, Engineering & Technology is INR 12,000 and INR 25,000 for the remaining tenure.
- Departmental assistance of INR 3,000 per annum
- HRA as per the rules of the Institution/University
- Escorts/reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for blind and physically disabled candidates)
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 1,000
Category: Minority
Eligibility Criteria:
- The fellowship is applicable to students belonging to minority communities i.e. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsi and Jain.
- The student must be enrolled in a full-time and regular M.Phil./PhD programme.
- The annual income of the family should not be more than INR 2.5 Lakh from all sources.
- The minimum percentage of marks to be obtained by the candidates in postgraduation in 50%.
- Transgender applicants can also apply for the fellowship.
Rewards
- Fellowship of INR 25,000 per month (JRF) for the initial two years and INR 28,000 per month (SRF) for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency for Humanities, Social Sciences and commerce is INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 20,500 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency for Science is INR 12,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 25,000 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Escorts and reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for blind and physically handicapped students).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
National Fellowship for OBC Candidate
Application Period*: NA
No. of Scholarships: 300
Category: OBC
Eligibility Criteria:
- The students who have passed their postgraduation and have registered for M.Phil./PhD courses can apply for the fellowship.
- The annual income of the family should not be more than INR 6 Lakh from all sources.
- Transgender candidates can also apply for the fellowship.
Rewards
- Fellowship in Social Sciences, Humanities and Sciences include JRF of INR 25,000 per month for the initial two years and SRF of INR 28,000 per month for the remaining tenure.
- The contingency for Humanities and Social Sciences is INR 10,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 20,500 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Contingency for Science, Engineering & Technology is INR 12,000 per annum for the initial 2 years and INR 25,000 per annum for the remaining tenure.
- Escorts and reader assistance of INR 2,000 per month (for blind and physically handicapped students).
How to Apply?
Apply online through the official website of UGC.
*The above-mentioned application period is tentative and may change at the discretion of the scholarship provider.
Also Read: Scholarships after 12th for College Students
UGC Scholarship – Results
Once the application process gets over for UGC scholarship and fellowship, the students become keen to know the results. The UGC follows a stringent scrutiny process to shortlist the scholars and fellows. While the scholarships are given to candidates who fulfil the specified eligibility conditions and are found genuine during verification, the fellowships are disbursed to students who get the recommendation from the Expert Committee set up by the UGC after an interview. All the results are declared on the official website of UGC. Thus, the students are advised to visit the official website for every significant update related to the scholarships and fellowships.
UGC Scholarship – Disbursement
How is the scholarship amount disbursed to students? How can the students receive the UGC scholarship? Is the scholarship amount given in hand or through some other mode? The answer to all these questions is Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The UGC disburses the amount of scholarship directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Thus, it is mandatory for the applicants to have their own bank account at a nationalised bank at the time of applying for the scholarships or fellowships.
UGC Scholarship – Renewal
The duration of each scholarship varies depending on the course candidates are pursuing. UGC adopts a specified monitoring procedure for the continuation of the UGC scholarship every year. The head of the department (HoD) under whom the candidate is studying is held responsible for the monitoring of his/her performance. The renewal of the scholarship involves the student submitting a yearly progress report to their respective bank’s branch duly signed by the HoD and Registrar of the University or Principal of the College or Head of the Institution. If the student fails to maintain satisfactory progress during his/her study, the scholarship may get terminated or cancelled.