About this student scheme
The National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes (NFSC) was restructured in 2019 from the earlier Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) into a Scheduled Caste-specific fellowship administered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment through UGC. It funds M.Phil and PhD research at any UGC/AICTE-recognised Indian university with the same amount UGC-NET-JRF holders receive — ₹37,000/month for the first 2 years (JRF) and ₹42,000/month for the next 3 years (SRF). What distinguishes NFSC from other SC-specific scholarships is the **2,000 annual slots** and the fact that selection is based on UGC-NET/CSIR-NET/SET qualification rather than a separate fellowship exam. The single most important documentation step is the **SC caste certificate issued by the home-state competent authority** — not the study-state. Because the applicant pool is community-restricted, the effective competition inside NFSC is significantly lower than open UGC-NET-JRF, and in several years all eligible applicants have received the fellowship. Applications flow through the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in.
Scholarship snapshot
| Scheme Name | National Fellowship for SC Students (NFSC) 2026 — ₹37,000/Month PhD Fellowship for SC |
| Launched By | Government of India |
| Launch Year | 2005 |
| Benefit | ₹37,000/month (JRF, 2 years) + ₹42,000/month (SRF, 3 years) + contingency for SC PhD students |
| Category | Education |
| Last Verified | 4 September 2026 |
| Official Portal | https://scholarships.gov.in |
अनुसूचित जाति राष्ट्रीय फेलोशिप (NFSC) — SC छात्रों को M.Phil/PhD के लिए ₹37,000/माह (JRF) + ₹42,000/माह (SRF) + contingency। UGC-NET/CSIR-NET JRF अनिवार्य। 2,000 फेलोशिप/वर्ष। socialjustice.gov.in।
₹37,000/माह JRF + ₹42,000/माह SRF + contingency — SC छात्र PhD/M.Phil
What students receive
₹37,000/month (JRF, 2 years) + ₹42,000/month (SRF, 3 years) + contingency for SC PhD students
Which students qualify
- ✓Must belong to Scheduled Caste (SC) community with valid caste certificate
- ✓UGC-NET or CSIR-NET with JRF qualification mandatory
- ✓Pursuing full-time M.Phil or PhD at UGC-recognised university
- ✓Not availing any other central scholarship/fellowship simultaneously
- ✓Family income: no specific limit (merit-based via NET-JRF)
Papers for the application
Applying online, step-by-step
- 1Qualify UGC-NET or CSIR-NET with JRF (or SET) — mandatory before applying for NFSC.
- 2Secure enrollment in a full-time M.Phil or PhD programme at a UGC/AICTE recognised university.
- 3Register and apply on the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) under the NFSC scheme.
- 4Upload SC caste certificate from a competent authority along with Aadhaar card.
- 5Submit the UGC/CSIR-NET JRF certificate and university enrollment proof as supporting documents.
- 6Provide bank account details for direct credit of the ₹37,000/month (JRF) or ₹42,000/month (SRF) fellowship.
- 7Declare no other central fellowship is being availed simultaneously, then await UGC verification.
Official Government Portal
Applications go through scholarships.gov.in only. Applying is free of charge — no agent, middleman or "consultant" is ever required.
🔗Apply on scholarships.gov.in