The Ministry of External Affairs has invited applications for the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) 2022-23. Under the SPDC scheme, the Ministry will award 150 scholarships to children of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from 69 countries and assist them to pursue undergraduate courses in Indian universities/institutes.
Note: The SPDC registration process has started and will conclude on 30th November 2022.
General Overview
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Particulars |
Details |
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Name of the Scholarship |
Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) 2022-23 |
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Provider |
The Ministry of External Affairs
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Beneficiaries |
Children of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) |
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Benefits |
Up to US $4,000 per year |
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Application Deadline
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30th November 2022 |
| Official Website |
spdcindia.gov.in |
Number of Scholarships
The scholarship is provided to 150 selected students. The distribution is made in the following ways:
- 100 scholarships are earmarked for NRIs/PIOs/OCIs
- 50 scholarships are earmarked for children of Indian Workers in the 17 ECR countries subject to fulfilling eligibility criteria
- Out of the total number of scholarships, 50% of slots in all the categories are reserved for female students.
- Out of a total of 100 seats allotted to the NRIs/PIOs/OCIs, 50 slots are for male and 50 for female candidates.
- Out of a total of 50 seats, 33 slots are allotted for children studied Abroad (male – 15, female – 17), and 17 seats are allotted for children studied in India (male – 9, female -8).
Note – In case the seats are not filled up in any of the categories, the scholarship shall be made available to applicants from other categories under SPDC.
Who Can Apply For SPDC 2022-23?
This scholarship is available to first-year students only. The specific undergraduate courses in Professional and Non-Professional courses include Humanities, Journalism, Hotel Management, Engineering, Technology, Arts etc. (except Medical and related courses). The financial aid is provided towards tuition fees, admission fees and post-admission services.
SPDC Scholarship is applicable to students who want to study undergraduate courses in the following Indian institutions and universities:
- National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Schools of Planning and Architecture, and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) through DASA Scheme
- ‘A’ Grade Institutions accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and recognized by UGC
- Central Universities of India offering undergraduate courses
Note: When applying for SPDC, students must ensure that the institutes they plan to get admitted to are NAAC ‘A’ Grade and recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates interested in availing of the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:
1. Schooling and Qualifying Examination
- Children of NRs/PIOs/OCIs must complete 6 years of schooling from class 7 to class 12 from the selected 69 countries (excluding Bangladesh and Pakistan).
- Children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries must complete Class 12 examinations with a minimum of 60% marks from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU)-recognised education system.
- Children of Indians residing in Nepal must have completed at least 2 years of schooling in Classes 11 and 12 in Nepal before applying for the scholarship
2. Minimum Marks in Qualifying Examination – Interested students must have secured a minimum of 60% aggregate marks or equivalent grades in aggregate of all the subjects in the qualifying examination
3. Age Limit – Applicants in the age group of 17 to 21 years as of 31st July 2022 can apply for SPDC.
4. Parents’ Income –
- NRIs/PIOs/OCIs students whose parents’ monthly income is less than or equal to US $5,000 are eligible to get this scholarship.
- For students belonging to the category of children of Indian Workers, monthly family income must be US $3,000 or less to be eligible to apply.
- However, the selection will be based on Merit-cum-Means. Students can renew the scholarship in the second year and subsequent years after reviewing their performance in the first academic year.
Note –
- Applicants are required to provide a self-attested salary certificate issued from the employer, based in a foreign city. If parents are self-employed, they must produce the Income Tax Report (ITR). If the parents are not eligible for ITR, they must provide a self-declaration confirming that the household income does not exceed the set income limit.
- If the information about the family income is found incorrect, the scholarship will be revoked and the amount already disbursed will be recovered. It might also include legal actions in such cases.
Required Documents
Here is the list of the required documents that the applicants need to produce while applying for the scholarship scheme.
- Marksheets and certificates of Class es 11 and 12
- Valid work permit of the parent in the ECR country
- Copy of PIO/OCI card or declaration about proof of Indian origin (attested by Head of Indian Mission)
- NRI certificate
- Annual self-attested salary certificate of the applicant’s parents
- Declaration of not receiving any other scholarship or financial assistance
- Passport-size photographs in the prescribed format mentioned below –
| Width: 100 to 200 (pixels)
Height: 120 to 230 (pixels) Dimension: 200 x 230 (pixels) Size of File: 20 to 50KB |
How to Apply?
Applicants who have passed the qualifying examination (10+2) and secured admission in an undergraduate course at the designated institutions in India mentioned above are eligible to apply for the SPDC scholarship. They can submit the required documents through the SPDC portal.
Note – The application window is currently closed. Applicants are advised to regularly monitor the SPDC portal for future updates regarding the opening of the application window.
Benefits
- In the first year, the scheme will award partial financial help, i.e., 75% of the total Institutional Economic Cost (IEC), subject to a maximum of US $4,000 per year (whichever is less).
- For the second and subsequent years, the scholarship will continue only if the selected student secures 50% and above marks in aggregate in his/her current academic year with clear pass marks in all subjects. In case the candidate secures less than 50% of aggregate marks, he/she will be eligible to receive 90% of the scholarship amount.
DIRECT LINK TO REGISTER FOR SPDC 2022-23
OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION of SPDC 2022-23
FAQs
Can a candidate born outside India, whose parents are not PIO/OCI/NRI, receive the SPDC scholarship?
No, a candidate born outside India whose parents are not NRIs/PIOs/OCIs is not eligible for the scholarship under SPDC. The scheme is specifically for the children of NRIs/PIOs/OCIs who wish to pursue higher studies in selected institutions in India. However, children of Indian workers in ECR countries born outside India are eligible for the SPDC scholarship.
Which countries are covered under SPDC?
SPDC scholarship is available to the children of NRIs/PIOs/OCIs worldwide and Indian workers' children in ECR countries.
What is Institutional Economic Cost (IEC)?
Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) includes tuition fees, hostel accommodation fees, examination charges, registration charges, and other institutional charges (excluding food).
If my child has applied under the DASA Scheme, can he/she also be eligible for the SPDC?
Applicants for the DASA Scheme can also apply for the SPDC Scheme, provided they meet all the eligibility requirements of the SPDC scheme. The DASA Scheme and SPDC Scheme are separate schemes implemented by the Government of India.
Is there any fee for submitting my SPDC application?
There are no charges for applying to SPDC.