DST INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)

The Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is a prestigious component of the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) program, managed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. Designed to attract India's brightest young scientific minds into pure and basic science research, the scheme awards a lucrative annual scholarship of ₹80,000 (totaling ₹4,00,000 over 5 years) to meritorious science students across India.

Every year, 10,000 fresh scholarships are offered to students pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate studies (B.Sc., B.S., and Integrated M.Sc./M.S.) in Basic and Natural Sciences (such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Statistics, Geology, Astrophysics, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology). The scholarship provides ₹60,000 per year (₹5,000 per month) in direct financial assistance, coupled with an additional ₹20,000 annual Summer Research Mentorship Grant to fund research projects under renowned scientists in premier national laboratories.

Comprehensive financial and academic benefits under the DST INSPIRE-SHE scheme include: 1. Five-Year Educational Security: Covers the complete duration of 3-year B.Sc./B.S. plus 2-year M.Sc./M.S. degrees, relieving families of all tuition, hostel, and textbook expenses. 2. Hands-on Scientific Research Exposure: The ₹20,000 mentorship grant enables students to travel and intern under top scientists during summer vacations, co-author research papers, and work with sophisticated laboratory instruments. 3. Direct Pathway to Ph.D. Fellowships: INSPIRE scholars who secure top academic ranks in their M.Sc. are automatically eligible to apply for the prestigious INSPIRE Ph.D. Fellowship (equivalent to CSIR-JRF) without clearing national entrance exams. 4. Admission in Elite Institutions: Students admitted to IISERs, NISER, CBS Mumbai, and Visva-Bharati for Integrated M.S. programs receive priority processing. 5. Zero-Fee Application: Applying on online-inspire.gov.in is 100% free of charge.

To be eligible for the DST INSPIRE-SHE scholarship, an applicant must satisfy these conditions: • Age Window: Must be between 17 and 22 years of age at the time of application. • Qualifying Academic Channel (Must meet ONE of the following): 1. Top 1% Merit in Class 12: Must have secured aggregate marks within the top 1% cutoff of their respective State or Central Board (CBSE, ICSE, UP Board, Maharashtra Board, etc.) in Class XII science stream. 2. Top 10,000 Rankers: Students holding ranks within the Top 10,000 in JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced), or NEET (UG) who choose to join B.Sc./Integrated M.Sc. pure science programs. 3. National Talent Scholars: Medallists in International Science Olympiads, NTSE scholars, or KVPY fellows. 4. Students admitted to IISERs, NISER, and DAE-CBS for Integrated Master's programs in Basic Sciences. • Eligible Courses: Regular full-time B.Sc., B.S., or 5-year Integrated M.Sc./M.S. in Natural & Basic Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology, Geology, etc.). • Ineligible Courses: Engineering (B.Tech), Medicine (MBBS), BDS, Agriculture, Pharmacy, Nursing, Computer Applications (BCA), and Law are strictly NOT covered under INSPIRE-SHE.

Keep digital PDF scans ready for upload on online-inspire.gov.in: 1. Student's Aadhaar Card (mandatory for identity and eKYC). 2. Class 10th Certificate / Marksheet (as proof of date of birth). 3. Class 12th Marksheet showing total aggregate marks. 4. Advisory Note / Eligibility Note issued by the School Board (or JEE/NEET rank scorecard). 5. Endorsement Form (Annexure-I) signed and stamped by the Principal / Dean / Registrar of your current college/university. 6. Active Savings Bank Account in State Bank of India (SBI) in the student's own name (must be Aadhaar-seeded for DBT). 7. Passport-size Photograph and scanned signature.

• Aadhaar Card of the student
• Class 10th and Class 12th Marksheets & Passing Certificates
• Advisory Note / Eligibility Certificate issued by Central/State School Board
• College/University Admission Proof & Endorsement Form signed by Head of Institution
• Student's Individual Savings Bank Account Passbook in State Bank of India (SBI) (Aadhaar-seeded for DBT)
• Passport-size Photograph & Scanned Signature
• JEE / NEET / KVPY / Olympiad Rank Card (if applying via competitive entrance channel)

Applying for the INSPIRE Scholarship is done 100% online in 4 steps: Step 1 — Register on Portal: Visit online-inspire.gov.in and click 'New User Registration'. Enter your name, email, mobile number, date of birth, and Class 12 roll number. Step 2 — Fill Application Form: Log in to your candidate dashboard, select 'Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)', enter personal, educational, and current college enrollment details. Step 3 — Upload Documents & Endorsement Form: Download the Endorsement Certificate template, get it signed by your college Principal/HOD, and upload it along with your Class 12 marksheet and SBI bank passbook. Step 4 — Evaluation & DBT Disbursal: DST verifies board cutoffs and college credentials. Selected scholars are notified on the portal, and the annual ₹60,000 scholarship + ₹20,000 project grant is transferred directly into their SBI account via PFMS.

The online application window typically opens in November–December each year following the completion of university admissions and closes in January–February. Scholars must upload annual marksheets and performance reports each academic year for continuous renewal.

• Submitting a joint bank account or an account in any bank other than State Bank of India (DST guidelines strictly mandate an individual savings account in SBI for DBT payouts). • Applying for engineering, medical, or applied computer science courses (INSPIRE is strictly reserved for Pure, Basic, and Natural Science degree programs). • Scoring below 60% or equivalent GPA in university examinations (scholars must maintain at least 60% marks or 7.0 CGPA each year to remain eligible for subsequent year renewals). • Forgetting to submit the Summer Research Project Report (mandatory to claim the ₹20,000 mentorship component).

Download your Board's official Class 12 Top 1% Advisory Note from your State Board or CBSE website. Open an individual account in State Bank of India (SBI) and complete Aadhaar seeding before submitting your online application on online-inspire.gov.in.