INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is a scholarship programme implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It is a scholarship scheme that comes under Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE), a flagship programme of DST. Meant for meritorious students undertaking bachelor’s and master’s courses in Natural and Basic Sciences, the INSPIRE Scholarship offers 10,000 scholarships every year. Under SHE, each selected candidate receives up to ₹80,000 annually for pursuing any subject in the Natural or Basic Sciences.
In this article, an in-depth overview of the INSPIRE scholarship will be provided, along with details such as an overview, rewards, eligibility criteria, the application process, and others. In the next section, an overview of the scholarship has been given.
INSPIRE Scholarship – Overview
| Particulars | Details |
| Name of the Scholarship | INSPIRE Scholarship 2023 |
| Provider | Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India |
| Beneficiaries | Students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s courses in Natural and Basic Sciences |
| Benefits | Selected candidates receive an annual scholarship of ₹80,000 |
| Key Eligibility | Students who passed Class 12 who are pursuing courses in Natural and Basic Sciences |
| Application Timeline | October to December (Tentatively) |
| Official Website | online-inspire.gov.in |
INSPIRE Scholarship – Key Dates
The scholarship is announced every year in the mid of October and ends at the end of the month of December. INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education has been announced. Find below the table indicating the tentative dates of the scholarship.
INSPIRE Scholarship – Eligibility Criteria
In order to apply for SHE, the applicants must have passed Class 12 and pursued courses in Natural Sciences at the B.Sc. or Integrated M.Sc. level. Given below is detailed information about the eligibility criteria for this scholarship.
- The applicant must be within the age group of 17-22 years.
- The candidate must be among the top 1% of the successful students in terms of aggregate marks in his/her Class 12 board exam.
- The applicant must be enrolled in courses of Natural and Basic Sciences at the BSc, BS, and Integrated MSc/MS level in the same year of passing Class 12.
- The applicants who are among the top 10,000 rankers in the Joint Entrance Examination of IIT, AIEEE (top 20,000 rankers) & cleared CBSE-Medical (AIPTM) and have opted to study Natural/Basic Sciences are eligible.
- The candidates who are admitted to the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Basic Sciences (DAE-CBS) at the University of Mumbai for pursuing courses in Natural/Basic Sciences leading to B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree are also eligible.
- The applicants who are KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojna), National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), Olympiad Medallists and Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) scholars and are pursuing courses in Natural/Basic Sciences leading to B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree are eligible.
- The subjects that come under the scope of the Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) are mentioned in the table given below.
Subjects under the scope of INSPIRE Scholarship
The following subject comes under the scope of the INSPIRE Scholarship:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Statistics
- Geology
- Astrophysics
- Botany
- Astronomy
- Electronics
- Zoology
- Biochemistry
- Anthropology
- Microbiology
- Geophysics
- Geochemistry
- Oceanic Sciences
- Ecology
- BioPhysics
- Genetics
- Marine Biology
- Atmospheric Sciences
INSPIRE Scholarship – Key Documents
While applying for the Scholarship for Higher Education, applicants need to submit some important documents in support of their application lack of which might lead to their rejection. Find below the list of all the important documents that candidates need to upload while filling out their scholarship application.
List of Important Documents of INSPIRE Scholarship
- Applicant’s passport-size photograph (JPEG format with a size of not more than 50 KB)
- Community/caste certificate in case the applicant belongs to OBC/SC/ST category (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
- Eligibility note or advisory note if provided by the State/Central Board (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
- Class 10 and 12 mark sheet (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
- Certificate specifying rank/award in JEE (Main)/ JEE (Advanced)/ NEET/ KVPY /JBNSTS/ NTSE/International Olympic Medallists [if the candidate is eligible under this criterion] (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
- Endorsement Form signed by the Principal of the College/Director of the Institute/Registrar of the University (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
- The first page of the applicant’s SBI bank passbook (PDF format with a size of not more than 1 MB)
INSPIRE Scholarship – Cut-Off Marks
INSPIRE Scholarship – Rewards
Under the scheme, SHE, each selected candidate gets a scholarship amount valued at ₹80,000 per annum for the study of Science and Technology and pursuing research as a career. The maximum period for which the students can avail the benefits of this scholarship is five years or till the completion of the course (whichever is earlier). Find below the complete details of the benefits granted under this scholarship.
Awards & Benefits of INSPIRE Scholarship
The selected candidates will receive a total scholarship of ₹80,000 per annum. The cash payable to selected students is ₹60,000 per annum and ₹20,000 will be given as a summertime attachment fee to those candidates who undertake a summer-time research project.
Note:– All the selected candidates need to undertake summer research projects under the guidance of an active researcher in a recognised research centre in India.
INSPIRE Scholarship – Application Process
The applications for INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) are accepted online through the online portal of the INSPIRE Programme. Given below is the complete guideline on how to apply for the scholarship.
Step 1: Applicants must register as new users on the INSPIRE scholarship portal.
Step 2: Click on ‘New User? Register here‘. The candidates must enter their name, gender, date of birth, email, password, eligibility criteria and verification code for successful registration.
Step 3: An user ID and password on their registered email ID will be received. Click on the activation link to activate the accounts.
Step 4: Keep the scanned copies of all the required documents as separate files.
Step 5: Log in to the INSPIRE scholarship portal using their username and password.
Step 6: Now, fill in all the details like personal particulars, enrolment information at B.Sc. and Integrated M.Sc. level, senior secondary performance information, national level competitive exam details, contact details and other details in the scholarship application form.
Step 6: Upload all the required documents in support of the online scholarship application.
Step 7: Review the entered details before the submission of the form by pressing the ‘Print Preview’ button. They must make sure that all the details and uploaded documents are correct.
Step 8: Now, click on the ‘Submit’ button to submit the application.
Step 9: After the final submission of the online scholarship application form, the candidates must take the printout of the submitted application for their records.
INSPIRE Scholarship – Selection Process
All the scholarship applications sent by potential INSPIRE scholars are evaluated on the basis of the specified eligibility criteria. On the basis of this evaluation, a list of shortlisted candidates is prepared.
- The list of shortlisted candidates is displayed on the INSPIRE online portal and on the INSPIRE programme’s website.
- The selected students need to download their provisional offer letter from the online portal of INSPIRE.
- The shortlisted candidates also need to upload the necessary documents on their web portal within the specified timeline for further consideration.
- The selected candidates receive their scholarship awards directly into their State Bank of India (SBI) bank account through DBT (Direct Bank Transfer).
INSPIRE Scholarship – Renewal
To continue the SHE scholarship in the subsequent years, INSPIRE scholars need to fulfil the criteria mentioned below.
- The students applying for renewal need to score at least 60% marks or 7.0 GPA on a 10.0-point scale in the annual examinations each year (or 2 semesters).
- If the candidate fails to secure the required marks in his/her B.Sc/BS/Int. M.Sc/Int. MS exam, the scholarship for that academic year will be cancelled. The scholarship is resumed in the next academic year if the student’s academic performance is satisfactory.
INSPIRE Scholarship – Terms & Conditions
There are a few rules that applicants need to follow in order to apply for this scholarship. Find below the list of terms and conditions that an applicant needs to keep in mind while applying for the SHE scholarship.
1. INSPIRE-SHE is awarded to students for a period of five years, starting from the 1st year B.Sc., BS, Integrated M.Sc/MS or until the completion of the course, whichever comes earlier.
2. Candidates must submit a completed application as the incomplete application form is entitled to be rejected.
3. Subjects such as Engineering, Medicine, Military Science, Defence Studies, Agriculture, Psychology, Seed Technology, Anthropology, Home Science, Geography, Economics, Education (including B.Sc.-B.Ed. dual degree course), Biotechnology, Computer Science, Computer Applications, Bio-informatics, Instrumentation, Information Technology, Physical Education, courses in Distance Education mode at the Open Universities and other professional courses are not supported under SHE scholarship.
4. The INSPIRE scholar must open a regular Savings Bank Account in any branch of the State Bank of India (SBI) only. The account must be in the name of the applicant and it should not be a joint account.
5. The shortlisted candidates must submit their year-wise performance report (signed by the Head of the Institution) and mark sheet of their BSc, BS, Int. MSc/MS course for the release of the scholarship. The head of the Institution refers to the Vice-Chancellor/Registrar/Dean of Science in the case of Universities and the Principal/Vice-Principal/Proctor/Officer-in-Charge in the case of colleges.
6. The Head of the Institution must clearly mention in the performance report if the scholarship should be continued or not in that academic year.
7. For the first time, the scholarship is released only after the approval of the performance report and mark sheet of 1st year B.Sc, BS, Int. M.Sc/MS. If the academic performance of the candidate is satisfactory, two years of scholarship, i.e., ₹1,20,000 is released during the candidate’s 2nd year of B.Sc, BS, Int. M.Sc/MS.
8. Candidates availing of any other scholarship from other sources are not eligible to receive this scholarship.
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INSPIRE Scholarship – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
✔️ Who can apply for INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education?
Applicants with the average marks within the top 1% of their Class 12 exam of any State or Central Board and they must be pursuing courses in Basic & Natural Sciences at the BSc, BS, and Int. MSc/MS level. The applicant must fall within the age group of 17 to 22 years.
✔️ How many INSPIRE scholarships are disbursed every year among students?
10,000 scholarships at the rate of ₹80,000 per students are disbursed every year.
✔️ When should a student apply for INSPIRE SHE?
The students should apply for SHE in the same year in which they have passed their Class 12 exam and have enrolled themselves in BSc, BS, Int. MSc/MS degrees, in Natural and Basic Sciences.
✔️ How can an applicant apply for the INSPIRE scholarship?
The applicants can apply online for SHE scholarship through the online portal of INSPIRE.
✔️ When can students expect to be intimated about their selection for SHE scholarship?
The selection process usually takes a period of at least four months due to the large volume of applications.
✔️ What should the applicants do if they gets selected but has not received the offer letter?
The applicant login to the online portal of INSPIRE where they will find the offer letter in their dashboard.
✔️ Since applicants are instructed to mention their registration number in all their correspondences, where can they find this number?
The students can find their INSPIRE registration number in the initial scholarship offer letter.
✔️ What happens in case the INSPIRE scholar who is pursuing 1st year BSc/BS/Int.MSc/Int.MS course discontinues it afterwards?
The scholarship offer will be withdrawn summarily and even after re-joining the course the offer will stand withdrawn.
✔️ What are the conditions of Summer projects to be undertaken by all the INSPIRE scholars?
✔️ When is the last date to apply for INSPIRE Scholarship?
The applications for INSPIRE Scholarship generally start in the month of November and continue till December. The last date to apply for the INSPIRE Scholarship for the academic year 2024-25 is not yet announced. The students are advised to keep a check on its official website to get the latest updates about the scholarship.
✔️ What is the full form of INSPIRE?
The term INSPIRE refers to Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research
INSPIRE Scholarship: Other Related Programmes
SHE scholarship comes under the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE), a flagship programme of DST. Besides INSPIRE SHE, there are two other programmes that come under the ambit of INSPIRE Scheme. These programmes are as follows:
1. INSPIRE Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent for Science (SEATS) – It aims to encourage talented young students to take an interest in the subject of Science by providing them with INSPIRE Awards and INSPIRE Internships.
2. INSPIRE Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC) – It aims to attract and retain bright young scientists to strengthen the R&D foundation and base. It comprises two components which include INSPIRE Fellowship and INSPIRE Faculty Award.
Find below a brief summary of these programmes.
Different Schemes of INSPIRE
INSPIRE SEATS
INSPIRE Internship:
- Students who are among the top 1% in their Class 10 board exam and are studying in the Class 11 science stream.
- The students should be in the age group of 16 to 17 years.
- 50,000 students are selected every year for summer/winter camps to provide them with the opportunity to interact with global leaders in Science.
INSPIRE Awards:
- Students of Classes 6 to 10 are eligible for INSPIRE Awards.
- The students should be in the age group of 10 to 15 years.
- Around 2 Lakh students are awarded ₹5000 per child under INSPIRE Awards.
INSPIRE AORC
INSPIRE Fellowship:
- 1st rank holder in a particular subject at PG level exam in Basic & Applied Science courses is eligible.
- INSPIRE Scholars having secured a minimum of 70% marks in aggregate at M.Sc or Int.M.Sc/MS level can also apply.
- 1st rank holder at the Graduate Level Exam in Medicine only, conducted by a university/institution of India is also eligible for the INSPIRE Fellowship.
- 1000 fellows are selected every year for the INSPIRE Fellowship.
- For 2 years, the selected fellows receive a monthly amount of ₹25,000.
For the last 3 years, the fellows receive ₹28,000 per month. - Fellows also receive a House Rent Allowance (HRA) and a contingency grant of ₹20,000 per annum.
INSPIRE Faculty Award:
- Ph.D. holders (in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, Pharmacy, Medicine and Agriculture related subjects) are eligible for INSPIRE Faculty Award.
- The applicants who have submitted their Ph.D. thesis and are awaiting the award of their Ph.D. degree are also eligible.
- The applicants must fall in the age group of 27 to 32. However, SC/ST candidates are eligible for 5 years of relaxation.
- The applicants must have secured at least 60% marks or CGPA throughout their academic career starting from Class 12 onwards.
- Also, the applicant who is within the top 1% at the School Leaving Exam, IIT-JEE rank, 1st rank holder in graduation or PG will be given preference.
- The selected INSPIRE Faculty receives ₹80,000 with an annual increment at the rate of 3.3% per year. Also, they get a research grant of ₹7,00,000 per year for 5 years.
INSPIRE Scholarship: About DST
Established by the Government of India in 1971, DST promotes new areas of Science & Technology in the country. Not only this, but DST also works towards the application and promotion of Science and Technology at the grass-root level through education, research and development. The INSPIRE Scheme is one such effort towards this direction.
INSPIRE Scholarship: Contact Details
In case of any query regarding the INSPIRE programmes, the applicants can send their queries with the Programme Name on the email ID mentioned below.
Email Id: prog-dst@nic.in
The subject line should include prefixes:
- INTERNSHIP – Internship program
- SHE – Scholarship for Higher Education program
- FELLOWSHIP – Fellowship program
- FACULTY – Faculty program
- GENERAL – Any General query about INSPIRE program
Emails without the defined subject as mentioned above may not be answered.