About the Scheme
National Fellowship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) 2026 is an opportunity offered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The objective of the scheme is to provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance to Scheduled Caste (SC) students pursuing higher studies leading to M.Phil or Ph.D. degrees in Science, Humanities, or Social Science at Indian Universities, Institutions, or Colleges recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The scheme provides for 2,000 new fellowships per year: 1,500 for Junior Research Fellows in Humanities/Social Sciences and 500 for Junior Research Fellows in Science. These fellowships are awarded to Scheduled Caste students who have qualified in the following tests: National Eligibility Test-Junior Research Fellowship (NET-JRF) of UGC UGC-Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (UGC-CSIR) NET-JRF joint test These additional fellowships are over and above the number of SC students selected under the government's normal reservation policy for UGC Fellowships. The scheme is implemented similarly to the UGC Fellowships awarded to research students pursuing M.Phil/Ph.D. degrees. Selected candidates will receive a fellowship of up to ₹42,000 along wth other benefits.
At a Glance
At a GlanceCentral Government scheme for the 2026 academic year. Partially funded; applications are online only.
- Fellowship
- Doctoral
Eligibility Criteria
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), and 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.
Admissions & Course Track
Doctoral (PhD), Professional courses and Undergraduate students in UG Year 4 at Institute of National Importance and UGC-recognised institutions studying Engineering & Technology.
Nationality
Open to Indian nationals.
Social Category
Open to Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.
Award Benefits & Structure
The award is paid once a year.
Up to ₹42,000 per month and other benefits per year
Annual payment, partially funded.
Additional Benefits
maternity leave), and other benefits will follow the guidelines of the UGC's fellowship program
Mandatory Document Checklist
Keep clear scanned copies of these ready before you begin your application.
- Essential
Caste Certificate
Issued by the competent authority in your state.
- Essential
Disability Certificate
Issued by a recognised medical authority.
- Essential
Marksheets
Marksheets of the qualifying examinations, validating merit.
- Essential
Aadhaar Card
The applicant's own Aadhaar card.
- Essential
Passport
A valid passport — scan the bio-data page.
- Essential
Bank Passbook / Cancelled Cheque
Showing the beneficiary's name, account number and IFSC code.
- Essential
Admission Letter
Current-year admission or allotment letter from your institution.
- Essential
Research Proposal
An outline of the research you propose to carry out.
- Essential
Income Certificate
Issued by the competent revenue authority (Tehsildar / SDO).
Selection Procedure & Key Timeline
Fellowship awards will be based on the merit of each individual's performance in the UGC-NET-JRF or UGC-CSIR-NET-JRF examination.
Application Registration Opens
The online application opens.
Application Deadline
(Active)Last day to submit your application and supporting documents.
How to Apply
Applications for this scheme are online. Follow these steps in order.
Check Eligibility
Review all eligibility criteria, required documents, and deadline to ensure you qualify.
Register or Sign In
Click the 'Apply Now' button to log in to your GetScholify account, or sign up if you are a new student.
Fill Application Details
Enter your personal, educational, and family income details accurately in the online application form.
Upload Required Documents
Upload clear scanned copies of all required documents (identity proof, academic transcripts, income certificate, etc.).
Review & Submit
Verify all details entered, accept declarations, and submit your application before the deadline.
About the Provider
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Government
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India is offering this scholarship.
cru-sec.he@hry.gov.inFrequently Asked Questions
The National Fellowship Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) 2026 is a central government scholarship offered by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the 2026 academic year. SC students pursuing M.Phil/Ph.D
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), and 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 award is Up to ₹42,000 per month and other benefits per year. It is partially funded.
Applications open on 20 December 2025. The last date to apply is 20 December 2026.
You need Caste Certificate, Disability Certificate, Marksheets, Aadhaar Card, Passport, Bank Passbook / Cancelled Cheque, Admission Letter, Research Proposal and Income Certificate.
Applications are online. 1. Check Eligibility. 2. Register or Sign In. 3. Fill Application Details. 4. Upload Required Documents. 5. Review & Submit.
Fellowship awards will be based on the merit of each individual's performance in the UGC-NET-JRF or UGC-CSIR-NET-JRF examination.
