Scholarships

Government Fellowships and Scholarships for High School Students in India [Science & Commerce]: Apply Now!

Gurjit Kaur

Dec 19, 2024
8 min read

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Listing out the 9 Government Fellowships and Scholarships for High School Students in India below. Check out the complete details here.

List of Government Fellowships and Scholarships for High School Students in India

1. Atal Tinkering Laboratories

With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills, such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing, etc.

ATL is a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). ATL would contain educational and learning ‘do it yourself’ kits and equipment on – science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers.

Other desirable facilities include meeting rooms and video conferencing facility. In order to foster inventiveness among students, ATL can conduct different activities ranging from regional and national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc. at periodic intervals.

Eligibility: Schools (minimum Grade VI – X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society Financial support: Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 Lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.

Funding Agency: NITI Aayog, Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines

2. Dr A P J Abdul Kalam IGNITE Awards, NIF

National Innovation Foundation (NIF) invites submissions of creative technological ideas/innovations from the students up to Standard XII. NIF dedicates the IGNITE Awards in the loving memory of Dr Kalam. In order to promote creativity and originality in children, NIF has been organising IGNITE – a national competition of original technological ideas and innovations by children, up to Standard XII or the age of 17 years, in or out of school.

IGNITE competition is an annual national competition where students are invited to send their original and creative technological ideas and innovations for the same. All practical and useful ideas/innovations may be given financial and mentoring support. In deserving cases, patents will be filed in the students’ name at no cost to them. It is also possible that some of the ideas might attract entrepreneurs and these may get licensed for monetary consideration.

Funding Agency: National Innovation Foundation (NIF), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines
Purpose: Awards, Capacity Building, Innovations

3. Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)

The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) is a National Program of Fellowship in Basic Sciences which is initiated and funded by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to attract exceptionally motivated students for pursuing basic science courses and research career in science.

The programme has the following objectives a) identify students with talent and aptitude for research b) help them realize their academic potential c) encourage them to take up research careers in Science, and d) ensure the growth of the best scientific minds for research and development in the country.

Special groups / Committees are set up at IISc to screen the applications and conduct an aptitude test at various centres in the country. Based on the performance in the test, short-listed students are called for an interview which is the final stage of the selection procedure. For receiving a fellowship, both aptitude test and interview marks are considered.

Funding Agency: Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India
Purpose: Capacity Building

4. National Talent Search Exam (NTSE)

National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is conducted by National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to identify and nurture the talented students by providing them scholarhips. As per the latest revision in 2012, NTSE is conducted for Class X students.

The examination consists of Mental Ability Test (MAT) and Scholastic Ability Test (SAT). The amount of scholarship is Rs. 500/- per month for all the students studying in Class XI onwards(irrespective of class/course) except for Ph.D., wherein it is paid as per UGC norms.

The scholarships under the current scheme are awarded to the candidates for pursuing courses in sciences and social sciences up to doctoral level and in professional courses like medicine and engineering up to second-degree level subject to the fulfilment of the terms and conditions of the scholarship.

Funding Agency: National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Govt. of India
Purpose: Capacity Building

5. Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

This scheme was launched 2014-15 onwards with the aim to provide financial assistance to the parents of students with disabilities for studying in the post-matric level. The objectives of this scheme are to support parents of students with disabilities for education of their children studying post-matric level onwards, thereby improving participation of students with disabilities at the post-matric stage of education.

These scholarships will be given for the study of all post-matriculation or post-secondary courses pursued in recognized institutions with the exceptions of certain training courses as stipulated. It shall provide support to students with disabilities to study further in order to prepare themselves to earn their livelihood and find a noble place for themselves in the society as they face several barriers physical, financial, psychological, mental in pursuing studies and living with dignity.

At times such students are deprived of harnessing their latent skills and thereby miss the opportunity. The students having less than 40% disability (certified by competent medical authority of the state Governments/UTs.) are not eligible. Also, the annual income of the student’s parents/guardian from all sources must not exceed Rs. 2.5 Lakh.

The financial assistance includes scholarship, reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees, book grant, maintenance allowance, escort/reader allowance, Study tour charges etc., subject to a maximum ceiling as per norms. The number of scholarships to be granted every year is 16,650 for post-matric level. The selection of the beneficiaries under this scheme is on the basis of merit after the recommendation of the Governments of State or Union Territories. These schemes will be implemented on-line basis through a web-portal.

Funding Agency: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines, Other Areas
Purpose: Capacity Building

6. Post-matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities

The objective of this scheme is to award scholarships to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of minority community for providing them better opportunities for higher education, increase their rate of attainment in higher education and enhance their employability.

The scholarship is to be awarded for studies in India in a government or private higher secondary school/ college/ university, including such eligible residential institutes. It also covers technical and vocational courses in Industrial Training Institutes/ Industrial Training Centres affiliated with the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) of Classes XI and XII level.

Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parents/guardian from all sources does not exceed Rs. 2 Lakh. 30% of scholarship would be earmarked for girl students. Actual financial assistance is provided for admission and course/ tuition fee and maintenance allowance, subject to a maximum ceiling as per norms.

Funding Agency: Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines, Other Areas
Purpose: Capacity Building

7. Pre-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities

This scheme was launched 2014-15 onwards with the aim to provide financial assistance to the parents of students with disabilities for studying in the pre-matric level. The objectives of this scheme are to support parents of students with disabilities for education of their children studying in 9th and 10th standard and also onwards so that the rate of drop-out, especially in the phase from the elementary to the secondary stage is minimized and thereby improving participation of students with disabilities in 9th and 10th standard and at the post-matric stage of education.

It shall provide support to students with disabilities to study further in order to prepare themselves to earn their livelihood and find a noble place for themselves in the society as they face several barriers physical, financial, psychological, mental in pursuing studies and living with dignity. At times such students are deprived of harnessing their latent skills and thereby miss the opportunity.

The students having less than 40% disability (certified by competent medical authority of the state Governments/UTs.) are not eligible. Also, the annual income of the student’s parents/guardian from all sources must not exceed Rs. 2 Lakh. The financial assistance includes scholarship, reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees, book grant, maintenance allowance, escort/reader allowance etc., subject to a maximum ceiling as per norms.

The number of scholarships to be granted every year is 46,000 for pre-matric level. The selection of the beneficiaries under this scheme is on the basis of merit after the recommendation of the Governments of State or Union Territories. These schemes will be implemented on-line basis through a web-portal.

Funding Agency: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines, Other Areas
Purpose: Capacity Building

8. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities

The scholarship at pre-matric level aims to encourage parents from minority communities to send their children to school, lighten their financial burden on school education and sustain their efforts to support their children to complete school education. The scheme will form the foundation for their educational attainment and provide a level playing field in the competitive employment arena.

Empowerment through education, one of the objectives of this scheme, has the potential to lead to the upliftment of the socio economic conditions of the minority communities. The scholarship will be awarded for studies in India in a government/ private school from Class I to Class X, including such eligible residential institutes.

Scholarship will be awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks in the previous final examination and annual income of whose parents/guardian from all sources does not exceed Rs. 1 Lakh. Actual financial assistance is provided for admission/tuition fee and maintenance allowance subject to a maximum ceiling as per norms.

Funding Agency: Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India
Area: All Science Disciplines, Other Areas
Purpose: Capacity Building

9. Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS)

Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS) aims at attracting talented youth to study science. INSPIRE Award of Rs.5,000/- is given to one million young learners in the age group 10-15 years. There are annual Summer/Winter Camps for about 50,000 youth at more than 100 locations for toppers in Class X board examinations for exposure with global leaders in Science through INSPIRE Internship.