Archive · 5 Jan 2026
Government Plans to Double Overseas Scholarships for SC/ST Students
The government is thinking about giving more scholarships to SC/ST students who want to study abroad.
Right now, they give 125 scholarships to SC students and 20 to tribal students every year.
They want to double these numbers to 250 and 50 respectively.
The scholarships help pay for school, housing, and travel.
But some people say the government is slow in giving the money, which makes students lose their spots in foreign schools.
The government also stopped some other scholarships, which made people upset.
Some people think the government should make sure the money is given on time and that the students don't have to come back to India to work for a year.
Government plans to double National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) slots for SC students from 125 to 250
MoTA proposes to increase NOS slots for tribal students from 20 to 50
Scholarships cover tuition, accommodation, and airfare for master's and PhD courses abroad
Government faced criticism for discontinuing several scholarships and delaying fund disbursement
Selected students must return to India and work for at least one year after completing their studies
- Who
- Government of India (MoSJE and MoTA)
- What
- Plans to double National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) slots for SC/ST students
- When
- Proposals under consideration (exact timeline not specified)
- Where
- India (scholarships for study abroad)
- Why
- To address backlash over discontinued scholarships and improve opportunities for SC/ST students
- Current NOS slots (MoSJE)
- 125
- Proposed NOS slots (MoSJE)
- 250
- Current NOS slots (MoTA)
- 20
- Proposed NOS slots (MoTA)
- 50
- Scholarship benefits
- Tuition fees, accommodation, and airfare
- Return requirement
- Work in India for 1 year
- Discontinued scholarships
- PG Indira Gandhi, Rank Holders, SC/ST Professional, GATE/GPAT