List of National & State-Level Government Scholarship Schemes

There are various Government Scholarship Schemes for students in India. These are meant to provide benefits to the students coming from different backgrounds. The government scholarships are provided on the national and state-level basis.

This article will provide you with the list of all important scholarship schemes that are being run in India and its states for educational needs of aspiring students.

Candidates who are preparing for competitive examinations including the IAS Exam can fetch all important details about famous government scholarship schemes in one place in this article.

Read about other government schemes which are important from the examination point of view, in the linked article.

Note: For registration in the government scholarship schemes, one can visit the National Scholarship Portal’s official website: https://scholarships.gov.in/

Some other important related articles related to UPSC Syllabus are given below:

List of Central Government Scholarships/Schemes

The Central Scholarship Schemes are introduced by different ministries targeting a specific population of students. The list of central schemes along with their target beneficiaries and aims are given in the table below.

Central Scholarship Schemes for Education – Details

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

1. NEC Merit Scholarship
   • The full name of NEC Merit Scholarship is Financial Support To The Students Of NER For Higher Professional Courses
   • It provided financial support for only permanent NER resident students studying anywhere in India; and whose parents’ annual income doesn’t exceed Rs. 8 lakhs.
   • It is not provided to the NER students who already avail benefits under any other scheme.
   • Diploma, Degree, Post-graduate or registration in M.Phil. /PhD students of any institute recognized by the Government are eligible.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Railways

1. Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For RPF/RPSF
   • It was introduced in 2005.
   • The aim of the scheme is to encourage higher technical and professional
   • education for the dependent wards of Ex/Serving RPF/RPSF personnel and widows (below the Rank of Gazetted officer)
   • 150 students are selected per academic session including 50 percent girls.
   • Professional Degree Courses like BE, B.Tech, BDS, MBBS, BEd, BBS, BCA, MCA B. Pharma, etc. duly recognized by the Government Regulatory Bodies are eligible.
   • It is not eligible for master degree courses except for MBA and MCA.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Home Affairs

1. Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles
2. Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme For Wards Of States/UTs Police Personnel Martyred During Terror/Naxal Attacks

Both the schemes have the following features:

• The scholarship is given to the dependent children or widows of the martyrs of CAPF, Assam Rifles or those state police personnel who were martyred during terror or naxal attacks.
• 2000 scholarships are provided for CAPF and Assam Rifles’ wards.
• 500 scholarships are provided for state police personnel’ wards.
• It is given for professional degrees programs.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Human Resources and Development

1. Central Sector Scheme Of Scholarships For College And University Students

• 82000 scholarships are awarded under this scheme to meritorious students from low income families.
• It is awarded for regular graduate, post-graduate and professional degree programmes.
• Students between the ages of 18 and 25 from different state boards; having above 80 percent marks in Class 12th are eligible.

2. National Means Cum Merit Scholarship

1. 1 lakh scholarships are provided under this scheme to class 9th meritorious students whose annual family income is not above Rs. 1.5 lakh.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Tribal Affairs

1. National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students
   • It is a scholarship for ‘Formally Top Class Education for Scheduled Tribe Students.’
   • Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) for ST students and Top Class Education for ST Students were two central sector schemes that merged to create National Fellowship and Scholarship for ST Students Higher Education.’
   • It has two components – Fellowship (Introduced in 2014) and Scholarship (Introduced in 2015.)
   • Fellowship is awarded for ST students for higher education courses like PhD, M.Phil etc, and Scholarships for ST students to opt graduation or post-graduation courses in government or private institutions.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Labour and Employment

1. Financial Assistance for Education of the Wards of Beedi/Cine/IOMC/LSDM Workers – Post-Matric and Pre-Matric
   • For the children of Beedi, Cine, Iron Ore, Manganese Ore & Chrome Ore Mine (IOMC), and Iron Ore, Manganese Ore & Chrome Ore Mineworkers.
   • Correspondence courses are not eligible.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

1. Top Class Education Scheme for SC Students
   • The scheme was approved in 2007.
   • 4200 scholarships are provided (30 percent slots for SC Girls.)
   • Those SC students having total annual family income from all sources up to Rs. 8.00 lakh and having secured admission in a full-time prescribed course in any of the notified institutions according to the general selection criteria prescribed by the concerned institution, will be eligible for scholarship under the Scheme to the extent of the number of scholarships (slots) allocated to the institution for the course.

Scholarship Scheme by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

1. Pre-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
2. Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
3. Scholarships for Top Class Education for Students with Disabilities
4. National Overseas Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
5. National fellowships for PwDs
6. Free Coachings for Students with Disabilities

The salient features of the six schemes mentioned above are:

• All the six schemes are for Indian national students with 40 percent or more disability.
• Only two children of the same parents are eligible.

Scholarship Scheme by Ministry of Minority Affairs

1. Pre Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities
   • It was announced in 2006.
   • It is awarded to meritorious students.
   • It is awarded to students studying in class 1 to class 10th, and have secured at least 50 percent marks in the last final examination. Also, the annual family income of such students shouldn’t exceed Rs. 1 lakh.
2. Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities
   • It was announced in 2006.
   • It is awarded for studies in government or private institutions for graduation, technical and vocational courses. (Certificate courses are not allowed.)
3. Merit Cum Means Scholarship For Professional and Technical Courses
   • It is awarded for technical and professional courses at the graduate and post-graduate level.
   • It is for students with a minimum of 50 percent marks in the previous final examination and whose annual family income does not exceed Rs. 2 lakh.

List of UGC Scholarship Schemes

The four scholarship schemes run by UGC are:

1. Ishan Uday – Special Scholarship Scheme For North Eastern Region
   • It was introduced in 2014-15
   • 10000 scholarships are awarded under this scheme annually.
   • General degree courses, technical and professional courses, including medical and paramedical courses as certified by the Registrar/ Principal/ Director of University/ College/ Institute are eligible for this scholarship.
   • The students have to be a domicile of the North Eastern region.
   • The annual income of parents shouldn’t exceed Rs. 4.5 lakh.
   • Open Universities’ courses and diploma courses are not eligible.
2. PG Indira Gandhi Scholarship For Single Girl Child
   • 3000 scholarships are provided to the only girl child who enrols in the first year of a PG course only.
   • The maximum age of the girl should be 30.
   • PG course in a distance education mode is not eligible.
3. PG Scholarship For University Rank Holders (Ist And IInd Rank Holders)
   • The awardees, under this scheme, can pursue their Postgraduate programme in any area of specialization in any institution of higher learning in the country
4. PG Scholarship Scheme For SC ST Students For Pursuing Professional Courses
   • 1000 scholarships are provided for postgraduate level studies in professional subjects in Indian universities/institutions/ colleges.

List of AICTE Scholarships

There are four All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) scholarships:

1. Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students (Technical Degree)
   • 5000 scholarships are provided annually.
2. Pragati Scholarship Scheme For Girl Students (Technical Diploma)
   • 5000 scholarships are provided annually.
3. Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student (Technical Degree)
   • Saksham is an MHRD Scheme being implemented by AICTE aimed at providing encouragement and support to specially-abled children to pursue technical education
4. Saksham Scholarship Scheme For Specially Abled Student (Technical Diploma)

List of Scholarships Schemes in India [State\UTs-Wise]

The list of important states and UTs scholarships for education are tabled below:

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