National Fellowship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) 2026

To be eligible, an applicant must:-

• belong to the Scheduled Caste category as per the relevant state government's list
• be pursuing regular and full-time M.Phil./Ph.D. courses in universities/research institutions recognised by the University Grant Commission (UGC)
• have qualified in either the National Eligibility Test (NET) or the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) examination

Note:-

• Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates who have already secured admission and have qualified for the NET examination will be given priority. These candidates must join the fellowship program within three months of receiving the JRF award letter.
• If there are insufficient candidates who have already secured admission, candidates who have not yet secured admission will also be selected in order of merit based on their NET examination scores. These candidates will be eligible for the National Fellowship for SC scheme, subject to admission to an M.Phil/Ph.D program at a university, IIT, or other recognised institution.
• The UGC should include a field in the application to capture the student's current educational status. Students who have either completed their postgraduate course or are in their final year will be given preference for selection. These students will be allowed up to one year from selection to join the fellowship program. For other students, a period of three years from the date of the award letter will be allowed for joining.
• A scholar is eligible to receive only one fellowship at a time. The scholar must declare that they will not accept or receive any other monetary benefit, scholarship, or fellowship from any other source. In other words, a scholar who is awarded a fellowship under this scheme may not accept any other fellowship, scholarship, or appointment (paid or otherwise), or receive any emoluments, salary, or stipend from any other source during the tenure of the award, except in the case of an academic leave of one year.
• If a scholar is already receiving a scholarship or fellowship, they must either relinquish their previous scholarship, fellowship, or any other monetary benefit or forgo selection under this scheme.
• A scholar who does not complete their research work during the fellowship period will not be eligible to reapply under this scheme. Similarly, a scholar who has previously received, in whole or in part, any of these fellowships for a Ph.D. will also be ineligible for a fellowship under this scheme.
• After two years of joining the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), if the research progress of the awardee is deemed satisfactory, the tenure will be extended for an additional three years as a Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) in accordance with the UGC Fellowship Guidelines, issued periodically for students enrolled in Ph.D. or M.Phil.+Ph.D. programs.
• For a combined M.Phil and Ph.D. course, the fellowship will be provided initially for two years during the M.Phil, and upon advancement to the Ph.D. course, for an additional three years.
• The fellowship will be payable from the date of the Joint CSIR-UGC NET result (if the candidate is already pursuing an M.Phil/Ph.D.) or from the actual date of joining the M.Phil/Ph.D. program, whichever is later.
• If a candidate has already been admitted to a regular, full-time M.Phil/Ph.D. program at a UGC-recognised university or institution and their roll number is listed, they should apply for the fellowship within three months.
• The fellowship will be granted until the submission of the Ph.D. thesis or for a maximum of five years, whichever comes first. No extensions are allowed beyond the total five-year fellowship period.
• Employees of any University/College/Educational Institution/Central/State/UT Government are ineligible for the fellowship, even if they are on Study Leave or Extraordinary Leave to pursue an M.Phil./Ph.D. course.

For integrated Ph.D. or M.Phil. to Ph.D. programs:

• The maximum fellowship tenure is 5 years, including the M.Phil. period.
• For the M.Phil. portion, the fellowship will be granted for two years or until the M.Phil. dissertation submission, whichever is earlier.
• The maximum allowed gap between completing the M.Phil. and starting the Ph.D. under this scheme is 2 years (from the M.Phil. result date to the Ph.D. admission date).
• However, the total fellowship tenure remains five years, excluding the gap period.
• No fellowship will be paid during the gap period.

The fellowship rates for JRF and SRF will be equivalent to UGC Fellowships. As of 1st January 2019, the applicable rates are as follows:-

Note:- The House Allowance (HRA) is the same for both JRF and SRF, as it's based on the location and government norms.

• If the institution provides hostel accommodation, the scholar is eligible only for the hostel fee (excluding mess, electricity, water charges, etc.).
• If the scholar refuses the institution's hostel accommodation, they forfeit their claim for House Rent Allowance (HRA).
• If the institution cannot provide hostel accommodation, it may provide single accommodation. In this case, the scholar's actual rent will be reimbursed, subject to the HRA ceiling set by the Government of India.
• If the scholar arranges their own accommodation, they are entitled to HRA based on the government's ceiling and city categorisation.
• To claim HRA, the scholar must submit a monthly confirmation certificate in the prescribed format to their institution.
• Medical facilities, leave (including maternity leave), and other benefits will follow the guidelines of the UGC's fellowship program.

• Caste certificate issued by a competent authority
• Disability certificate (if required)
• Marksheets/certificates of the previous qualifying examination
• Aadhaar card
• Passport-sized photograph
• Bank account details (passbook/statement)
• PAN card
• Contact information such as address, phone number, and email
• Admission letter for M.Phil/Ph.D. program
• Research proposal
• NET or UGC-CSIR NET scorecard (if applicable)
• Hostel accommodation proof (if applicable)
• Income certificate (if required)
• Disability certificate (if applicable)
• Any other documents as specified in the application form

Eligible applicants can apply by following these steps:-
Step 1: Click on the 'Apply Now' button below.
Step 2: Click on the 'Register' button and fill in the required registration details (Note:- If already registered, log in using Gmail/Mobile number/Email ID).
Step 3: The selection for the award of fellowship to students will be made by the responsible government authorities based on the merit of each UGC-NET-JRF or UGC-CSIR NET-JRF examination. No separate application is required from the student.

Application Deadline: 20 December 2026