Top Government Scholarships in India 2026

Complete guide to 10 top government scholarships for Indian students — from Class 10 NTSE and INSPIRE to UGC NET-JRF fellowships and overseas studies. Includes merit-based (INSPIRE, NTSE), means-based (SC/ST post-matric), professional (AICTE Pragati, GATE), and category-based (minority, NE region) scholarships. Eligibility, amount, application process, and direct apply links.

Last updated: 16 May 2026 · Direct application links · Cross-verified with scholarships.gov.in

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📚 All Top 10 Scholarships

INSPIRE Scholarship

🔥 POPULAR

₹80,000/year for 5 years (BSc + MSc) — top 1% Class 12 Science students + JEE/NEET top rankers

📚 UG💰 ₹80,000/year (₹60K scholarship + ₹20K summer internship grant)🏛️ Department of Science & Techno...🔍 200K+

AICTE Pragati Scholarship

🔥 POPULAR

₹50,000/year for girls in technical UG courses (Engineering, Pharmacy, Architecture, MBA, MCA)

📚 UG💰 ₹50,000/year (₹4,000/month + ₹2,000 books)🏛️ All India Council for Technica...🔍 100K+

UGC NET-JRF

🔥 POPULAR

₹37,000-₹42,000/month for 5 years PhD research + ₹50K-1L contingency grant

📚 RESEARCH💰 ₹37,000/month (Junior, 2 yrs) + ₹42,000/month (Senior, 3 yrs)🏛️ University Grants Commission (...🔍 500K+

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CSIR-UGC NET

🔥 POPULAR

₹37,000-₹42,000/month for 5 years PhD in Science + research support

📚 RESEARCH💰 ₹37,000/month (JRF) → ₹42,000/month (SRF)🏛️ Council of Scientific & Indust...🔍 300K+

AICTE PG Scholarship

🔥 POPULAR

₹12,400/month for 2 years for GATE/GPAT-qualified ME/MTech/MPharm students at AICTE institutions

📚 PG💰 ₹12,400/month for 24 months🏛️ All India Council for Technica...🔍 250K+

Top Class Education SC

🔥 POPULAR

FULL tuition fee + ₹2,200-₹3,000/month + book/computer allowance for SC students at top 287 institutions

📚 UG💰 Full tuition + ₹26,400-₹36,000/year maintenance + extras🏛️ Ministry of Social Justice & E...🔍 60K+

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NTSE Scholarship

🔥 POPULAR

₹1,250-₹2,000/month for entire education career (Class 11 to PhD) for top ~2,000 Class 10 students nationally

📚 SCHOOL💰 ₹1,250/month (Class 11-12); ₹2,000/month (UG/PG); fellowship rates (PhD)🏛️ NCERT (National Council of Edu...🔍 400K+

National Overseas Scholarship SC

🔥 POPULAR

Tuition + US$ 15,400/year (~₹12.8 lakh) + airfare + visa + health insurance for SC students at top 200 global universities

📚 OVERSEAS💰 Full tuition + US$ 15,400/year (₹12-15 lakh/year)🏛️ Ministry of Social Justice & E...🔍 40K+

Ishan Uday Northeast Scholarship

₹3,500-₹5,400/month for graduation for students from Arunachal/Assam/Manipur/Meghalaya/Mizoram/Nagaland/Sikkim/Tripura

📚 UG💰 ₹3,500/month (general/professional) | ₹5,400/month (medical/engineering)🏛️ University Grants Commission (...🔍 30K+

Begum Hazrat Mahal Scholarship

🔥 POPULAR

₹5,000-₹6,000/year for minority girls Class 9-12 (Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Parsi, Jain)

📚 SCHOOL💰 ₹5,000/year (Class 9-10); ₹6,000/year (Class 11-12)🏛️ Maulana Azad Education Foundat...🔍 80K+

How to Choose the Right Scholarship for You

For Class 10 students: Apply for NTSE — the most prestigious scholarship that continues from Class 11 through PhD. Begum Hazrat Mahal for minority girls in Class 9-12.

For Class 12 Science students: INSPIRE Scholarship for top 1% / JEE top 10,000 / NEET top 10,000 — ₹80,000/year for 5 years.

For SC/ST students: Top Class Education for SC at IITs/IIMs/NITs covers FULL tuition + maintenance.

For girl students in engineering/professional: AICTE Pragati — ₹50,000/year for entire course.

For PhD aspirants: UGC NET-JRF (humanities/social) or CSIR-UGC NET (science) — ₹37,000-₹42,000/month for 5 years.

For overseas Master's/PhD: National Overseas Scholarship for SC covers ~₹15 lakh/year.

For Northeast students: Ishan Uday for UG — ₹3,500-₹5,400/month.

Application platform: Most central scholarships are applied through scholarships.gov.in (National Scholarship Portal). Register with Aadhaar OTP, fill institution + family income details, upload documents, submit before deadline. NSP application window typically opens August and closes October-November each year.

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