National Fellowship & Scholarship for ST Students - Application Form 2018

National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students is a Central Sector Scheme provided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs that will provide 100% funding for the scheme. The fellowship is awarded to ST students selected for pursuing M.Phil. and PhD. National Fellowship and Scholarship for ST Students application form 2018 are available online on the Ministry Portal.  Candidates can apply through online mode for the National Fellowship for ST (M.Phil. and PhD). The link to National Fellowship (ST) Application Form 2018 is available on this page.

National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students has emerged as the whole new merger scholarship scheme out of the two former scholarship schemes i.e. "Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) for ST students" and "Top Class Education for ST Students" so as to ease the application and award disbursement process. Under the name of the scholarship-cum-fellowship Scheme, “Fellowship” is intended to cover the scholarship provided under Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF), the “Scholarship” is intended to cover the Top Class Education.

National Fellowship and Scholarship (ST) - Dates 2018

Number of Scholarships/Fellowships for Higher Education of ST Students

The total number of fresh Scholarships and fellowships are provided in the table below:

Fellowship for ST Students

The rate of Fellowship for JRF and SRF will be at par with the UGC/ICAR Fellowships as the case may be as amended from time to time. In addition, HRA will be paid as per UGC norms and for physically/visually handicapped candidates, escorts/reader assistants will be given at the prescribed rate.

For M.Phil Students

For PhD students

Scholarship for ST Students

The students will be awarded as per the rules are given below. Payment of the Fellowship/Scholarship amount of the scheme for STs would be made through the system of Direct Benefit Transfer through the Aadhaar Payment Bridge into the Aadhaar seeded bank a/c of the beneficiaries from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

• Full tuition fee and other non-refundable dues in respect of Government/Government-funded institutions. However, there will be a ceiling of Rs.2.50 lakhs per annum per student for private sector institutions.
• Living expenses Rs. 2200/month will be provided as per actuals subject to the maximum ceiling of 26400/- per annum.
• Books and stationery @ Rs.3000 per annum per student
• Cost of the latest computer along with its accessories limited to Rs.45,000 as one-time assistance during the course.

National Fellowship Scheme (M.Phil./Ph.D.) 2018-19 application forms are available online on the Ministry Portal. To apply for National Fellowship for ST Students, candidates are required to register online through the Login panel, fill their personal and academic details and submit the application form by following the link given below.

National Scholarship Application Form - Apply Online(Closed)

How to Fill National Fellowship for ST Candidates Application Form

Step 1: Student Registration Form- Candidates need to register by providing basic details such as name, mobile number, email id, and date of birth.

Step 2: Application Form Filling- After successful registration, you will receive your User ID and Password on your mobile number. Log in with your User ID and Password and fill the application form.

• Personal Details
  • Candidate’s Name
  • Father/Guardian’s Name
  • Gender
  • Date of Birth
  • Nationality
  • Mobile number
  • Email id
  • Domicile State
  • Aadhaar No: Enter valid Aadhaar number
  • Address
  • Family Income           

• Post-Graduation Details
  • Post-Graduate Exam Name (M.A/M.Sc/M.Com/MCA etc.)
  • Post-Graduation College/University  
  • Subjects taken in Post-Graduation
  • Year of Passing          
  • Marks
• M.Phil/ Ph.D. Details
  • Registration/Admission Date
  • Date of Joining
  • End Date
  • University Registration Number
  • Department
  • Stream
  • Title/Topic for Research
  • Description of the research
• Bank Account Details
  • IFSC code
  • Bank Name
  • Branch name
  • Account No

Step 3: Upload Documents – After filling the application form, candidates need to upload required documents. Without valid documents, the application will not be considered.

• Passport size photograph
• 10th /Matriculation certificate as a Date of Birth Proof
• ST/PVTG certificate
• Master Degree Marksheet
• Family income certificate
• University registration number
• Handicapped (Person with Disability) [if applicable]
• BPL (if applicable)
• Equivalent percentage marks (Applicable for CGPA/OGPA)

National Scholarship for ST Students: Courses Eligible

The National Scholarship covers courses at Graduate/Post Graduate Level in identified Institutions of excellence, Government and Private in professional fields such as

The candidates will be selected as per the merit after the submission of the online application. There will be 1000 Scholarships and 750 fellowships for the eligible candidates, The selection process is given below in the steps.

• Application Verification: The application form submitted by the candidates will be cross verified by their respective Universities and Institutes. The listed below credentials of the candidates will be verified:
  • Scheduled Tribe, Certificate issued by the competent authority
  • PVTG, BPL certificate issued by the competent authority.
  • Certificate to the effect that the total family income from all sources shall not exceed Rs 6 lakh per annum in the case of Scholarships.
  • Amount of full Annual tuition fee and other nonrefundable dues payable by the candidate to the Institute in the case of Scholarships.
• First Come First Serve: The scholarship/fellowship schemes will be based on the first come first serve basis in case the total applications exceed the number of awards to be disbursed. The inter se merit will be based on the percentage of marks obtained in the last qualifying examination prescribed for the admission to the course under Fellowships/Scholarship.
• Merit List: The merit list of the shortlisted candidates will be auto-generated and displayed on the portal.
• Candidates Not Selected for Fellowship/Scholarship: Candidates who are included in the merit list but not selected for the award of Fellowship/Scholarship shall be eligible for the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) administered by this Ministry as a centrally sponsored scheme, provided such students are otherwise eligible for the said scheme.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs
Ground floor, 'D' wing, Shastri Bhawan, 
New Delhi-110001