Commonwealth Scholarships for Master and PhD study, UK 2017

Requirement of English language proficiency:
i) The candidates must have completed tertiary education in English medium.
ii) The Candidates whose native language is not English are required to produce the evidence of required competency in English to study in the United Kingdom.
iii) As a condition of offering a place, the host institution in the UK may require a candidate to take particular English tests and/or training in English and reach a particular level.
iv) The Ministry of Human Resource Development does not ask applicant to provide an English Language Proficiency certificate.

• Participating institutions: Awards are tenable at any approved university or higher education institution with which the CSC has a partfunding agreement. A list of these institutions is available at: http://bit.ly/cscuk-uk-universities .
• Preference for institutions: Candidates are required to give preference for three institutions of study on their application form. The final decision on the host institution will be made by the CSC.
• Application to preferred institution: Candidates must submit independent applications directly to their preferred institutions in advance of their scholarship application. Where formal offers of admission have been obtained, these should be included with the application. However, it is not mandatory to produce offer of admission till nomination. Finally selected candidate is asked by the CSC to obtain at least an offer of admission from one of the preferred institutions. Many courses have strict admission deadlines. Candidate must check admission requirements carefully when applying.

Supporting statement from supervisor:

• Candidates applying to PhD degree are required to obtain at least a supporting statement/letter from a potential supervisor, which is required to be produced at the time of interview conducted by Ministry of Human Resource Development. Candidates are strongly advised to provide a supporting statement from a supervisor at his/her first choice university. Otherwise, the CSC reserves the right to select you for placement at another university for which the candidate has provided a supporting statement. No candidate, for PhD, will be allowed to be interviewed without such supporting statement/letter.

Research Proposal/ Plan of Study:

• Candidates are advised to submit their plan for study/research proposals (minimum in 100 words for Master’s and 500 for PhD) while applying at the online portal of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Note: A research proposal must contains Title, Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Outcome etc.

Value of award:

Each scholarship provides: -

• Approved airfare to the United Kingdom and return at the end of the award (the CSC will neither reimburse the cost of fares for dependents, nor usually the cost of journeys made before the award is finally confirmed).
• Approved tuition and examination fees.
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £ 1,043 per month, or £ 1,279 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2016-2017 levels)
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a thesis or dissertation, wherever applicable.
• Warm clothing allowance, wherever applicable.
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the United Kingdom or overseas.
• For PhD Scholars, fieldwork grant towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (usually the cost of one economy class return airfare to scholar fieldwork location).
• For PhD Scholars, paid mid-term visit (airfare) to their home country (unless they have claimed (or intend to claim) spouse and/or child allowances during their scholarship, or have received a return airfare to their home country for fieldwork).
• If scholarship is at least 18 months long, the following family allowances:
• Spouse allowance of £224 per month if the scholar and his/her spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (unless his/her spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply)
• Child allowance of £224 per month for the first child, and £110 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if scholar is accompanied by his/her spouse and children and they are living with him/her at the same address in the UK.
• If scholar is widowed, divorced, or a single parent (irrespective of the length of her scholarship), child allowance of £448 per month for the first child, and £110 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if scholar is accompanied by his/her children and they are living with him/her at the same address in the UK.

Note: The CSC’s family allowances are intended to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining scholar’s family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and he/she must be able to supplement these allowances in order to support any family members who come to the UK with him/her.

For more information, see the Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, available at http://bit.ly/cscuk-handbook-forms.

Nomination and final selection:

• Only shortlisted candidates would be called for interview and the Selection Committee consisting of subject experts will interview the candidates. Based on merit, the nomination would be made. The nomination will be sent to Commonwealth Scholarship Commission for the final selection.
• Nomination of a candidate by Government of India does not, in any way, guarantee final selection or placement. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission will make its own selection out of overall nominees recommended. The Commission will announces the name of the finally selected candidate in April 2017.

Note: Candidates are advised to go through the CSC’s selection criteria. The specific link has been provided at the end.

Important dates:

• Closing date of online application in Ministry of Human Resource Development: 16.09.2016 (till 3 PM)
• Closing date of online application through CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS) 15.11.2016
• Announcement of the name of the candidates (subject wise) shortlisted for the interview Around 20th October 2016
• Tentative dates for the Interview Between 16.11.2016 and 08.12.2016 
• Documents required:
• Scanned copy of the following documents are required while applying to the Ministry of Human Resource Development online portal:

 i) Marks sheet and certificate for Secondary Examination
 ii) Marks sheet and certificate for Higher Secondary Examination
 iii) Transcript in respect of the candidate’s higher qualification(s).
 iv) Bachelor’s/Master’s degree.

Note: Candidates are required to obtain transcript from their university/institution.

Candidates, shortlisted for interview, are required to bring the following documents at the time of interview:

•  Original Certificates along with mark sheets of Class X, XII & Transcripts and degree (if awarded) in respect of their higher qualification(s).
•  NOC/ Cadre clearance (in case of Government Servant).
•  In case applying for PhD, candidate must provide evidence of support from a prospective supervisor.

Note: In case where grades are awarded, the candidates are required to furnish exact percentage of marks and indicate the conversion formula.