The Ministry of Human Resource Development plays an important part in the nation’s education system. The ministry’s two distinct divisions, notably the Department of School Education & Literacy and the Department of Higher Education, actively contribute to the country’s socioeconomic development.
Together, the two departments work to improve educational standards across the nation. The ministry offers some MHRD scholarships to aid high school and college students financially.
The ministry grants two types of MHRD scholarships: one at the national level and the other at the international level. Scholarships at the national level are administered by different departments under the MHRD. Under Educational/Cultural exchange programs, external-level scholarships are granted in partnership with the governments of several foreign nations.
This article describes each MHRD scholarship, including its eligibility, application process, prizes, and selection criteria.
MHRD scholarship: What is it?
The Ministry of Human Resource Development provides not only Indian students with national-level scholarships but also foreign scholarship possibilities to study abroad in countries such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, China, Israel, Mexico, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Italy.
The national-level MHRD scholarship is administered by MHRD, whereas the external scholarships are administered by foreign nations as part of educational and cultural exchange programs.
See also: MahaDBT Scholarship 2023: Everything you should know
MHRD scholarship: Eligibility criteria
What are the eligibility requirements for applying for an MHRD scholarship? Is there a minimum family income required for these scholarships? Are these scholarships exclusively available to kids who have excelled academically? The eligibility requirements for each scholarship may differ.
These requirements primarily address the student’s age, academic achievement, annual family income, state residence, and educational qualification. The table below explains which standards you must meet for each scholarship.
| S.NO. | Scholarship name | Eligibility |
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Scholarship Program for College and University Students Administered by the Central Sector | Students pursuing a standard medical or engineering course from an AICTE, DCI, or MCI-recognized college are eligible for the scholarship.
In class 12, the pupils must have scored more than the 80th percentile of successful applicants in the relevant stream. The family’s annual income from all sources should not exceed INR 8 lakh. It is also critical that the student is not receiving any other scholarships. Students pursuing their studies via correspondence or distance learning are not eligible to apply. |
| 2. | Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir (PMSSS) | The scholarship is only available to students from Jammu & Kashmir.
Students must have completed their class 12th or 10+3 diploma from the J&K board, CBSE, or state polytechnic. Students who want to study outside of J&K can also apply. The family’s annual income should be INR 8 lakh or less. |
| 3. | National Scheme of Incentives to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) | The award is offered to female students from SC/ST communities who are in 9th grade.
Applicants must have completed class 8 at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and be enrolled in a state government, local body, or government-aided school. Only unmarried girls under the age of 16 are eligible to apply. |
| 4. | National Means Cum Scholarship Merit | The grant is available to students in grades 9 through 12 who plan to continue their education.
In the class 8th exam, the minimum percentage requirement is 55% or equivalent (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST). Applicants must have obtained a minimum of 55% or equivalent in class 7th in order to appear for the scholarship selection test. The family’s annual income should be less than INR 1.50 lakh. |
| 5. | Prime minister’s research fellowship | Students in their first year or who have finished B.Tech, M.Tech, or Integrated MSc from IITs/IIISc/NITs/IISERs/IIITs are eligible to apply.
Students enrolled by UCEED/JEE, KVPY, or SCB are also eligible to apply. Students who have finished the course within the last five years are also eligible to apply. |
| 6. | AICTE Pragati Scholarship for girls | This scholarship is available to female students who have been accepted into the first year of a diploma/degree program at an AICTE-approved school.
The family’s annual income should be less than INR 8 lakh from all sources. The award is available to families with up to two female children. |
| 7. | AICTE-Saksham Scholarship Program | The scholarship is available to differently-abled students with a disability level of at least 40% who have enrolled in the first year of a technical degree/diploma course at an AICTE-approved institution.
The family’s annual income should be less than INR 8 lakh from all sources. |
| 8. | Commonwealth Scholarships in the United Kingdom | Students who have completed or are about to complete their bachelor’s or postgraduate degree are eligible to apply.
The applicant must acquire a minimum percentage of marks of 65% or higher in Science and 60% or higher in Social Science. The applicant’s age should not exceed 40 years. The applicant must be enrolled in a UK university pursuing an MPhil degree leading to a Ph.D. |
| 9. | New Zealand Commonwealth Scholarships | The scholarship is available to students who want to study in New Zealand.
The applicant must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 65%. |
| 10. | Chinese Government Scholarships | The fellowship is available for studies at the undergraduate, master’s, doctorate, general scholar, and senior scholar levels.
For undergraduate studies, students must have completed their 12th grade with 60% or higher and be under the age of 25. Students must have a graduating grade point average of 60% and be under the age of 35 to be eligible for postgraduate studies. Students must hold a postgraduate degree with a minimum of 60% and be under the age of 40 to pursue doctoral studies. General scholars must have completed at least two years of undergraduate study, have a qualifying examination grade point average of 60%, and be under the age of 45. Applicants for senior scholars must be associate professors or have a master’s degree with 60% or above and be under the age of 50. |
| 11. | South Korean Government Scholarships | The scholarship is available for master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral studies.
Students must have a bachelor’s degree and be under 40 years old to apply for the Master’s level. Students must have a Master’s degree and be under 40 years old to apply for the Doctoral level. Postdoctoral students must have a doctoral degree/diploma and be under 45 years old. Candidates for Biotechnology and Electronic Engineering must have a 65% or higher. |
| 12. | Japanese Government Scholarships | The fellowship is available for research, master’s, and doctoral-level courses.
Humanities, social science, management studies, mathematical science, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, and other fields are eligible for the award. The applicants must be under the age of 35. Students must have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 65% in order to pursue a master’s degree or a research level. Students seeking a Ph.D. must have a master’s degree with at least 65% in the relevant discipline. |
| 13. | Italian Government Scholarships | The grant is available for master’s, Ph.D., research, and Italian language and culture courses.
Students must be graduates from India and under the age of 28 to study at the Master’s level. For a Ph.D., students must meet the qualification and entry requirements of the Italian University, as well as provide a letter of acceptance from them, and they must be under the age of 30. Students applying for the research level must be under 40 years old and must submit a research project along with their admission letter. Students must provide a competency certificate in the Italian language in order to enrol in Italian language and culture courses. |
| 14. | Mexican Government Scholarships | The scholarship is available for specialisation, master’s, doctoral, and graduate level research.
A bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree is required, as well as a GPA of 80 on a scale of 1 to 100. Students must also be enrolled in a course at one of the participating institutions. |
| 15. | Israel Government Scholarships | Students with a letter of acceptance from an Israeli university/supervisor are eligible to apply.
A master’s degree in Chemistry, Biology, Agriculture, Economics, Environment Studies, Biotechnology, Mass Communication, or Business Management is required for applicants. Students enrolled in the Hebrew Language and Literature course must also be enrolled in a postgraduate course in the same subject. The ability to communicate in English or Hebrew is required. |
| 16. | Brazilian Government Scholarships | This MHRD fellowship is available to Indian citizens aged 18 to 25.
Applicants must have completed their class 12 board exams with at least 60% overall and 60% in English. Students already in class 12 can also apply, but they must submit their final mark sheet and board certificate when enrolling in a Brazilian university. It is also necessary to be fluent in Portuguese. |
| 17. | Presidential Scholarships, Sri Lanka | Students studying bachelor’s degree programs are eligible to apply for the scholarship (It does not cover Engineering, Dentistry and Medicine).
The applicant must be under the age of 25. |
| 18. | Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Scholarship | The scholarship is accessible to students with a consistent academic record of at least 60% in post-graduate studies and a PhD degree in the relevant subject field.
Scholars between the ages of 30 and 40 are eligible to apply. Students must be interested in pursuing an academic career in one of the following specialisations: History, Politics, and Economics After finishing their PhD, applicants must additionally have a minimum of three years of teaching experience at the graduate/postgraduate level. |
See also: MahaDBT Scholarship 2023: Everything you should know
MHRD scholarship: Application procedure
To apply for the MHRD Scholarship 2022 online, students must refer to the points listed below.
- Students should visit www.mhrd.gov.in, the official website.
- Applications will be available online annually between June and July.
- Follow the link to the notification displayed on the homepage.
- Choose the appropriate link and click it to apply online.
- Complete the online application for the MHRD Scholarship with relevant information.
- Include educational records, a certificate of income, a photo ID, a letter of admission, a certificate of caste, and a certificate of handicap.
- Photo and signature in passport size must be provided with the application form.
- The Institute or the relevant State Education Board should verify the application. Otherwise, the document will be deemed void.
- Submit the completed form
- Institute or the relevant Education Board must review the application form and retain a copy for future use.
MHRD scholarship: Scholarship Announcement
- National Scholarship Portal (NSP) www.scholarships.gov.in will be available for online applications every year between June and July.
- Class XII graduates of the current academic year who scored above the 80th percentile of their respective State Education Boards (SEBs) are eligible to apply for the scheme via the National Scholarship Portal (www.scholarship.gov.in) before the deadline. Physical submissions are not allowed.
- The online applications would be validated on two levels: i. By the student’s academic institution. ii. By the relevant State Board of Education,
- The Institute requires the applicant to present the necessary documents, such as [a high school transcript and income certificate].
- The application will be deemed “Invalid” if neither the institute nor the relevant state education board has verified it.
- From the verified applications, a merit list based on the state-allocated quota would be developed.
MHRD scholarship: Selection procedure
The Central Sector Scholarship Scheme awards a total of 82,000 MHRD scholarships.
Boys receive 41000 MHRD scholarships, while females receive 41000 MHRD scholarships. Scholarship providers use a selection procedure to give scholarships based on merit or financial need to worthy candidates.
The MHRD scholarship selection process is detailed below:
Scholarship Program for College and University Students in the Central Sector
Candidates shall be chosen on merit in accordance with the quotas set by the state.
The application will be verified at two levels: the institution level and the State Education Board level.
Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS)
Students are chosen based on merit.
National Girls’ Secondary Education Incentive Scheme (NSIGSE)
This plan would provide scholarships to all eligible female students.
Merit Scholarship for National Means
The committee will choose the candidates based on the results of the Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Ability Test (SAT) administered by each state/UT.
Fellowship for Prime Ministerial Research (PMRF)
The application form is initially shortlisted by the reviewers.
The applicant is chosen based on his or her performance in the written test or interview at the nodal institute.
AICTE Pragati Scholarship for Female Students
Students are chosen on merit based on their performance in the last qualifying exams.
Saksham Scholarship Scheme of AICTE
Candidates are chosen based on their academic performance.
Commonwealth Scholarships are available in the United Kingdom.
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission’s screening committee chooses applications based on academic achievement, the quality of the study plan, and the possible influence of the students’ work on the development of their home nation.
Commonwealth Scholarships in New Zealand
The providers’ interviews with the selected candidates are used to make the final decision.
Scholarships from the Chinese Government
Candidates are chosen based on their merit and performance in the selection committee’s interview.
Scholarships from the South Korean Government
The selection committee selects scholars for interviews based on their merit.
Scholarships from the Japanese Government
The scholars are chosen on merit by the Japanese government.
Scholarships from the Italian Government
The initial level of selection is handled by the MHRD. The final decision is made by the Italian government.
Scholarships from the Mexican Government
The initial level of selection is handled by the MHRD. The final decision is made by the Mexican government.
Scholarships from the Israeli Government
Candidates are chosen on the basis of their merit.
Scholarships from the Brazilian Government
Candidates are chosen on the basis of merit.
Presidential Scholarships, Sri Lanka
Candidates are chosen by the Sri Lankan government.
Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Fund
Through the interview process, only one candidate is chosen for the fellowship.
MHRD scholarship: Renewal
This award is renewable for up to five years for the same graduation-level track. For all professional courses, the scholarship will be renewed only up to the level of graduation. If a student is unable to take the yearly exam due to illness or other circumstances, the scholarship may be continued for the next academic year upon submission of verifiable documentation.
The scholarship would be renewable for students who change their institution or university. Therefore, students who submitted an application for the MHRD scholarship last year must fill out the renewal form in order to apply for the same program this year. Students can log in to the official MHRD scholarship portal and provide proper information on the renewal form.
FAQs
Who can get an MHRD scholarship?
National and International MHRD Scholarships are available to students who meet the eligibility requirements.
What is the eligibility criteria for Scholarship Program for College and University Students?
The applicant must be enrolled in a regular Medical/ Engineering course at an AICTE/ DCI/ MCI-approved institution.
