The scheme provides opportunities for Scheduled Caste students to pursue higher education leading to M.Phil/Ph.D. degrees in Sciences, Humanities and Social Science streams. The objective of the scheme is to provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance to SC students.
Central Sector Scheme of National Fellowship for Providing Fellowship to Scheduled Caste Students to Pursue M.Phil. & PhD - Introduction
Central Sector Scheme of National Fellowship for Providing Fellowship to Scheduled Caste Students to Pursue M.Phil. & PhD is a fellowship scheme by the Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The scheme was introduced during the financial year 2005-06 to provide opportunities to Scheduled Caste students to pursue higher education leading to M.Phil/Ph.D degrees in Sciences, Humanities and Social Science streams. The objective of the scheme is to provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students belonging to the SC category to pursue higher studies leading to an M.Phil/Ph.D in Science, Humanities, or Social Science, in Indian universities, institutions, and colleges recognized by UGC. UGC is the nodal agency for implementing the scheme and responsible for laying down procedures and guidelines for implementing the scheme, including selection of beneficiaries and disbursement of fellowships to selected candidates.
Benefits
Number of Slots
- The scheme provides for 2000 new Fellowships (1500 Junior Research Fellows for Humanities/ Social Sciences and 500 Junior Research Fellows for Science stream) per year.
- These slots are over and above the number of SC students selected by the Government for UGC Fellowships.
Validity
- The fellowship shall be paid from the date of issue of the JRF award letter under the Scheme for National Fellowship or the date of joining the M.Phil./Ph.D., whichever is later.
- The fellowship shall be granted up to the date of submission of the Ph.D. thesis or five years of tenure, whichever is earlier. No extension is permissible beyond the total period of five years of fellowship.
- Confirmation for continuation of the fellowship shall be given by the University twice a year on a semester basis within the 10th of the initial month of the semester. Based on this certification, the research scholars will be released the fellowship within the 15th of every month without any further intervention of the university.
- With regard to the combined course of M.Phil and PhD, Fellowship will be provided initially for 2 years for M.Phil and after upgradation to Ph.D. course, for another 3 years.
- In case of integrated Ph.D. or M.Phil. to Ph.D., the maximum tenure is 5 years including the M.Phil. period of fellowship. For doing M.Phil., fellowship shall be granted for two years or up to the date of submission of the M.Phil. dissertation, whichever is earlier.
Duration of the Fellowship
- Name of the Course: M.Phil; Maximum Duration: 2 Years; Admissibility for JRF: 2 Years; Admissibility for SRF: NIL
- Name of the Course: PhD; Maximum Duration: 5 Years; Admissibility for JRF: 2 Years; Admissibility for SRF: Remaining 3 Years
- Name of the Course: M.Phil + PhD; Maximum Duration: 5 Years; Admissibility for JRF: 2 Years; Admissibility for SRF: Remaining 3 Years
Rate of Fellowship
- Head: Fellowship in All Streams
- Rate Applicable for JRF: Rs. 31,000/- p.m. for initial two years
- Rate Applicable for SRF: Rs. 35,000/- p.m. for remaining tenure
- Head: Contingency for Humanities & Social Sciences
- Rate Applicable for JRF: Rs. 10,000/- p.a. for initial two years
- Rate Applicable for SRF: Rs. 20,500/- p.a. for remaining tenure
- Head: Contingency for Sciences
- Rate Applicable for JRF: Rs. 12,000/- p.a. for initial two years
- Rate Applicable for SRF: Rs. 25,000/- p.a. for remaining tenure
- Head: Escort/ Reader Assistance (All Subjects) for Physically and Visually Handicapped Candidates
- Rate Applicable for JRF: Rs. 2,000/- p.m.
- Rate Applicable for SRF: Rs. 2,000/- p.m.
- Head: House Rent Allowance (HRA)
- Rate Applicable: 8%, 16% and 24% to those students who are not provided with hostel accommodation, in accordance with Govt. of India norms as applicable in the city/location where the research fellows are working.
Mode of Disbursal
The disbursal of the fellowship will be directly into the beneficiary's Aadhaar-linked Bank Account via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Eligibility
- The applicant should be from a Scheduled Caste.
- The applicant should be pursuing regular and full-time advanced studies/research leading to an M.Phil/PhD degree.
- The applicant should have qualified one of the following tests:
- National Eligibility Test – Junior Research Fellowship (NET‑JRF) of UGC.
- UGC – Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) NET‑JRF Joint Test.
- The applicant should be pursuing the program from a university/institution recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as follows:
- Central/State universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions) are included under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, 1956 and have valid accreditation from NAAC.
- Deemed universities under Section 3 of the UGC Act – institutions for higher education notified by the Central Government to be deemed universities, in consultation with UGC, and having valid accreditation from NAAC.
- The institutions fully funded by the State/Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
- Institutions of National Importance as notified by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- A scholar is eligible to receive only one fellowship at a time. The scholar will not accept or receive any other monetary benefit, scholarship or fellowship from any other source.
Reservation/ Relaxation/ Preference/ Priority
- Scheduled Castes candidates who have already secured admission and qualify the NET examination will be given preference. Such candidates will be required to join the fellowship within three months of the issue of the JRF award letter.
- There will be an inclusive provision of reservation for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) who belong to the SC category, as per the norms of the existing quota of PwD and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The minimum degree of disability should be 40% in order to be eligible for any concessions or benefits.
NOTE: In case sufficient candidates who have already secured admission are unavailable, candidates who have not yet secured admission will also be selected in the order of merit in the NET examination.
Exclusions
- Employees of any University/College/Educational Institution/Central/State/UT Government shall be excluded from availing Fellowship, even if they are on Study Leave or Extraordinary Leave to pursue the M.Phil./Ph.D. course.
- A scholar who does not complete his/her research work during the period of fellowship shall not be eligible to apply again under this scheme.
- Similarly, a scholar who has completely or partially availed any of these fellowships for Ph.D. earlier shall also not be eligible for fellowship under this scheme.
Application Process
UGC will advertise or invite online applications from candidates qualified in the NET/UGC-CSIR joint tests for the award of National Fellowship for SC students. The selection for the award of fellowship to students will be made on the basis of the merit of each UGC-NET-JRF or UGC-CSIRNET-JRF examination.
- The merit for the award of fellowships under NFSC will be drawn up through the NET examination.
- Preference will be given to students who have already secured admission. Such candidates are required to join the fellowship within three months of the issue of the JRF award letter under the scheme.
- However, if sufficient such candidates are not available, candidates who have not secured admission will also be selected in the order of merit in the NET examination. A separate merit list will be drawn up for such candidates if required.
The results shall be published on the UGC website. Award letters can be downloaded from the UGC online application portal or as advertised by UGC.