Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Important Dates, Eligibility & Amount

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies applications have been closed for the academic year 2025-26. The authorities have released the students short-listed for interview rounds. The interviews are scheduled to be held on February 26 and February 27, 2026. 

The scholarship is offered to students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The application process of the scholarship is offline and students are required to pay the application fee via postal order/demand draft in favour of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Important Dates

The Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies follows a strict timeline every year. The table listed below will help you understand and plan your applications smoothly.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies Application Time 2026

Event	Timeline
Application last date	August 31, 2025 (closed)
Interviews	February 26 and 27, 2026
Commencement of scholarship	April 1, 2026

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Eligibility Criteria

In order to avail the benefits of the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies, students need to fulfil certain eligibility conditions first. 

• Be an Indian national or a national of other Asian countries.
• Be pursuing one of these areas of specializations including Indian History and Civilization, Sociology, Economics, Comparative Studies in Religion and Culture, or Ecology and Environment.
• Be a full-time Ph.D. Scholar.
• Hold a post-graduate degree with a minimum of 60% marks in aggregate in both graduate and post graduate levels.
• Already be registered/admitted for Ph.D. degree with a recognized university/institution in India. Those who have applied for registration and have not yet been registered at the time of submission of application are not eligible to apply.
• Not be above 35 years of age on October 1 of the year of selection.

Please note – A relaxation of up to 5 years will be provided to the candidates belonging to OBC-NCL (as per the Central List of OBC available on website: www.ncbc.nic.in) /SC/ST/PwD/Third gender categories and to women applicants. A relaxation of up to 5 years will be provided to the candidates who have served in the armed forces subject to the length of service in armed forces.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Application Procedure

Follow the steps given below if you’re applying for the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies –

Step 1 – Visit the official website of Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund.

Step 2 – Go to the Scholarships tab and click on ‘Application Forms’.

Step 3 – Download the application form by clicking on the link mentioned on that webpage.

Step 4 – After filling out the application form, every student needs to send the completed application forms with all the necessary enclosures to the Administrative Secretary, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund, Teen Murti House, New Delhi-110 011 before the application last date along with an application fee of ₹100.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Amount and Rewards

The scholarship amount for both Indian nationals or students from other Asian countries is the same under the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies. The scholarship amount is offered for two years. 

• A maintenance allowance including tuition fees (stipend) of ₹18,000 per month will be awarded to every scholar.
• A contingency grant of ₹15,000 per annum will be awarded to every scholar. This cost will bear the expenses for study tours within India, purchasing of books, stationery, etc.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Documents Required

The following documents should be securely attached alongside the application form –

• A passport size photograph of the applicant to be pasted on the first page of the form
• A synopsis of the proposed project as per the attached format
• Doctoral Monitoring Committee’s report or Supervisor’s report/recommendations
• Postal order/demand draft for ₹100
• PhD registration certificate
• Necessary certificates as proof of category issued by the competent authorities should be attached
• Self-attested photocopies of certificates and marksheets in support of your age and educational qualifications

Please note – Candidates belonging to SC/ST are exempted from paying this application fee.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Reservation

The reservation of scholarships shall be as follows –

• 15% of the scholarships are reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.
• 7.5% of the seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates.
• 27% of the seats are reserved for Other Backwards Classes (OBC) Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) candidates as per the central list.
• 10% of the seats are reserved for general economically weaker sections (General-EWS).
• 5% of the seats in the above-mentioned categories are reserved for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) with 40% or more disability.

Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies 2026 – Important Guidelines

Listed below are some important guidelines that every student must follow or know about before applying for the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies.

• Those students who have applied for registration and have not yet been registered/admitted for Ph.D. degree to a recognized university/institution in India at the time of submission of application are not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund’s decision to call a candidate for interview or select a candidate for scholarship will be final and no representation in this regard will be entertained.
• The selected candidates as long as they remain recipients of the Jawaharlal Nehru  Scholarship for Doctoral Studies cannot receive any other grant/fellowship/scholarship from any other source.
• The selected candidates have to give an undertaking that they are not receiving benefits under any other fellowship/scholarship programmes before the commencement of the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the duration of the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies?

The Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies will be awarded to Indian and other Asian countries nationals pursuing Indian History and Civilization, Sociology, Economics, Comparative Studies in Religion and Culture, or Ecology and Environment for a maximum duration of 2 years.

Is there any application fee for the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies?

Yes, students need to pay an application fee of ₹100. They are required to offline submit their application form and other supporting documents via offline mode through post order/demand draft. Candidates belonging to SC/ST are exempted from paying this application fee.

What are the conditions for the disbursement of the scholarship amount?

The selected candidates have to submit an undertaking from their universities where she/he is pursuing her/his Ph.D. that the student is not receiving benefits under any other fellowship/scholarship programmes. Only after the submission of this undertaking the first disbursement of scholarship amount will be made.

What could possibly be the reason behind my rejection?

Incomplete and unsigned application forms are liable to be rejected. Moreover, if any of the specified supporting documents is found missing or in a format other than specified, your application will definitely get rejected.

Does the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships for Doctoral Studies provide age relaxation to scholars?

Yes. A relaxation of up to 5 years will be provided to the candidates belonging to OBC-NCL/SC/ST/PwD/third gender categories and to women applicants. A relaxation of up to 5 years will be provided to the candidates who have served in the armed forces subject to the length of service in armed forces.