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Meri Shiksha

Top 10 Government Scholarships Every Indian Student Should Know — Eligibility, Amount & How to Apply

Issue: 11 May 2026
Top 10 Government Scholarships Every Indian Student Should Know — Eligibility, Amount & How to Apply
📄 ARTICLE 💰 Scholarships Government NSP Portal

Top 10 Government Scholarships Every Indian Student Should Know — Complete Guide with Eligibility, Amount & How to Apply

India में ₹1,000 Crore+ हर साल government scholarships में distribute होते हैं — लेकिन लाखों eligible students apply ही नहीं करते क्योंकि उन्हें पता ही नहीं। यह article 10 most important government scholarships cover करता है — SC/ST/OBC से लेकर general category तक, Class 9 से PhD तक, और ₹10,000 से ₹80,000/year तक। हर scholarship का eligibility, amount, deadline, और step-by-step apply process — सब एक जगह।

📅 ✍️ Meri Shiksha Editorial ⏱️ 9 min read

Quick Overview — 10 Scholarships at a Glance

#Scholarship NameFor WhomAmount/Year
1Post-Matric Scholarship (SC)SC studentsFull tuition + ₹14,400
2Post-Matric Scholarship (OBC)OBC studentsUp to ₹12,000
3PM YASASVIOBC/EBC/DNT₹75K - ₹1.25L
4INSPIRE (SHE)Science toppers₹80,000
5Central Sector ScholarshipTop 20% board₹10K - ₹20K
6AICTE Pragati (Girls)Girls in tech₹50,000
7AICTE Saksham (PwD)PwD students₹50,000
8Minority ScholarshipMinority studentsUp to ₹25,000
9PM VidyalaxmiAll categoriesLoan interest subsidy
10State-Level ScholarshipsState domicile₹5K - Full fee waiver

Detailed Breakdown — Eligibility & How to Apply

1 Post-Matric Scholarship for SC Students

Eligibility
SC category, family income < ₹2.5L/year, post-matric course
Amount
Full tuition + ₹1,200/month maintenance
Apply At
scholarships.gov.in (NSP)
Deadline
Usually October-November

2 Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC Students

Eligibility
OBC (non-creamy layer), family income < ₹1.5L/year
Amount
Up to ₹12,000/year (maintenance + fees)
Apply At
scholarships.gov.in (NSP)
Deadline
Usually October-November

3 PM YASASVI Scholarship

Eligibility
OBC/EBC/DNT, family income < ₹2.5L/year, Class 9-12 & UG/PG
Amount
₹75K (9-10) / ₹1.25L (11-12) + college benefits
Apply At
yet.nta.ac.in + scholarships.gov.in
Deadline
Varies — NTA announces

4 DST INSPIRE Scholarship (SHE)

Eligibility
Top 1% in 12th board OR JEE/NEET top 10K, BSc/Integrated MSc in sciences
Amount
₹80,000/year (₹60K + ₹20K research)
Apply At
online-inspire.gov.in
Deadline
Usually September-October

5 Central Sector Scholarship (CSSS)

Eligibility
Top 20% in 12th boards, family income < ₹8L/year, any UG/PG
Amount
₹10,000 (UG) / ₹20,000 (PG) per year
Apply At
scholarships.gov.in (NSP)
Deadline
Usually November

6 AICTE Pragati Scholarship (Girls)

Eligibility
Girls, AICTE-approved technical courses, family income < ₹8L/year
Amount
₹50,000/year (lump sum)
Apply At
aicte-pragati-saksham-gov.in
Deadline
Usually December

7 AICTE Saksham Scholarship (PwD)

Eligibility
PwD students (40%+ disability), AICTE-approved courses, income < ₹8L
Amount
₹50,000/year (lump sum)
Apply At
aicte-pragati-saksham-gov.in
Deadline
Usually December

8 Post-Matric Scholarship for Minorities

Eligibility
Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi — income < ₹2L/year
Amount
Up to ₹25,000/year (fees + maintenance)
Apply At
scholarships.gov.in (NSP)
Deadline
Usually October-November

9 PM Vidyalaxmi (Education Loan Support)

Eligibility
All categories, admission in NAAC/NIRF-ranked institutions
Amount
Education loan interest subsidy (up to ₹10L)
Apply At
pmvidyalaxmi.in
Deadline
Open year-round

10 State-Level Scholarships

Eligibility
State domicile + category/income criteria (varies by state)
Amount
₹5,000 to Full Fee Waiver (state dependent)
Apply At
Respective state scholarship portals
Deadline
Usually August-November

NSP पर Apply कैसे करें — Step-by-Step

📋
Application Process:
Step 1: scholarships.gov.in पर जाएं → One Time Registration (OTR) करें
Step 2: Profile complete करें — Aadhaar, bank details, education details
Step 3: Eligible scholarships की list दिखेगी → Apply click करें
Step 4: Documents upload करें — income certificate, marksheet, caste certificate
Step 5: Application submit करें → Institute Verification के लिए college जाएं
Step 6: Institute verify करे → District/State verification → Amount DBT via bank
⚠️
Common Mistakes Avoid करें:
❌ Bank account student के name में नहीं → Payment reject
Aadhaar bank account से link नहीं → DBT fail
❌ Income certificate expired (1 year validity) → Application reject
Institute verification करवाना भूल जाना → Pending forever
❌ Deadline miss → No extension — NSP deadlines strict हैं

Frequently Asked Questions

General category students के लिए कौन सी scholarship है?

Central Sector Scholarship (CSSS) — Top 20% in 12th board, income < ₹8L। PM Vidyalaxmi — Education loan interest subsidy। INSPIRE — Science toppers। AICTE Pragati — General category girls भी eligible हैं (income < ₹8L)।

एक student कितनी scholarships ले सकता है?

Generally एक central government scholarship at a time। लेकिन central + state scholarship combine possible हो सकता है। NSP portal automatically check करता है। College-specific fee waivers अलग से ले सकते हैं।

Scholarship renewal हर साल करनी पड़ती है?

हाँ! ज़्यादातर scholarships annual renewal require करती हैं। Previous year marks upload करें, attendance criteria meet करें। Renewal deadline miss = scholarship discontinue। Calendar में reminder set करें।

Income certificate कैसे और कहाँ बनवाएं?

तहसीलदार/SDM office या state e-district portal से online। Documents: Aadhaar, ration card, self-declaration। Processing: 7-15 days। Validity: 1 year। हर साल नया बनवाना होगा।

Scholarship money कब आती है?

Application → Institute verification → District verification → DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) via bank account। Total time: 2-6 months। Aadhaar-bank link और student name account mandatory है। Disbursement usually January-March में होता है।

Private college students भी apply कर सकते हैं?

हाँ, ज़्यादातर scholarships recognized private colleges के students को भी cover करती हैं। लेकिन college को NSP पर registered होना ज़रूरी है। Admission लेने से पहले college से confirm करें कि वो NSP verification करते हैं या नहीं।

💰 Scholarship Apply करें — पैसे छोड़ें नहीं!

scholarships.gov.in पर आज ही register करें। Eligible scholarships check करें। Documents ready रखें। Deadline miss मत करें — यह पैसा आपका हक है।