INSPIRE Scholarship 2025-26: Registration (Soon), Eligibility, Dates, Result

Conducted by the Department of Science and Technology, the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is aimed at attracting talent to the excitement and study of science at an early age, and to help the country build the required critical resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Signal and Telecommunication system and Research and Development base. The INSPIRE Scheme was approved by the Government of India in November 2008 at a total cost of about Rs 1979.25 crores. It was launched on December 13, 2008. 

The INSPIRE scheme has three components:

• Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent  (SEATS)
• Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)
• Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC)

Under the INSPIRE Scheme, students can opt for any of the following options:

• INSPIRE Internship (SEATS): Completed 10th and Pursuing 11th (Top 1% in 10th)
• INSPIRE Scholarship (SHE): Completed 12th (Top 1% in 12th)
• INSPIRE Fellowship (AORC): Completed any one MSc, M.Tech, B.Tech, B.Pharma, BSc Agriculture, BVSc(Veterinary Sc), MBBS, B.E, MSc, M.Tech
• INSPIRE Faculty: Awarded PhD Degree or Submitted PhD Thesis

As of yet, DST has not announced the INSPIRE Scholarship Dates 2025-26. The conducting authority will soon announce the official dates on its website. Candidates can check the important dates related to the INSPIRE SHE Scholarship 2026 in the table below.

The Department of Science and Technology will soon start INSPIRE Scholarship Application Process 2025-26. Candidates who are eligible & interested can fill out the registration form online at online-inspire.gov.in. As soon as it gets released officially, we will also provide a direct link to fill out and submit the INSPIRE Scholarship application form 2026. Applicants must submit it before the deadline.

The Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents for Science (SEATS) under the INSPIRE Program is the enrolment increasing phase. In this component of SEATS, students would be selected for summer/ winter camps on an annual basis to provide an opportunity for students to interact with global Leaders in science, to experience the joy of innovations on an annual basis through the INSPIRE internship. Annually, 50,000 students who are among the top one per cent in their Class 10 board examination and pursuing science in Class 11 would benefit through summer/ winter camps. These camps would nourish the curiosity of children in science; help them to think out of the box, and attract the students at an early age of 16-17 years (i.e. in 11th Class) to pursue a research career.

SEATS - INSPIRE Internship 2025-26 Highlights

Under the INSPIRE programme, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, the Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is aimed to attract students to study basic and natural Science subjects at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and pursue research as a career. SHE provided scholarships to interested and
deserving students at Rs 80,000 per annum. Each candidate will receive annual scholarship of Rs 500 per month with a total value of Rs 60,000 (per annum). All the SHE scholars are required to undertake summer research projects under an active researcher in any recognized research centre across India. A summer time Mentorship grant of Rs 20,000 will be paid every year. Only candidates who have completed their Class 12 examinationin the year and have enrolled in B.Sc., B.S., Int. M.Sc./M.S. degrees, in Basic and Natural Sciences (in subjects (listed below) in the same year will be able to apply for the scholarship. 
After completion of the project, scholar should submit the following documents to the DST:
(a) A letter attested by the Research Guide where the scholar is enrolled for the project, and
(b) A report outlining the objectives and results of the project.
The minimum tenure of the project must be six to eight weeks. The duration of the project must be clearly mentioned in the project report. However, group projects will not be applicable.

INSPIRE Scholarship 2026 Highlights

Interested candidates must fulfil either of the eligiblity criteria and then apply for SHE Scholarship 2026:

• Meritorious Students with aggregate marks within top 1% of their Class 12 examination of any State/ Central Education Board in India are eligible. In addition, the student must be pursuing courses in Natural and Basic Sciences at the B.Sc., B.S., and Int.M.Sc./M.S. level.
• Those students who have secured ranks in the JEE of IIT, AIPMT (within top 10000 ranks), and are presently pursuing Natural and Basic Science courses in India at the B.Sc., B.S., Int. M.Sc./M.S. level
• Students with aggregate marks within top 1% of their Class XII examination of any State/ Central Education Board in India and pursuing Integrated M.S. courses in Natural and Basic
  Sciences at IISERs, NISER and Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Basic SciencesUniversity of Mumbai and Visva-Bharati, Shanti Niketan.
• Students who have been selected under Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) and pursuing Bachelor/Master level courses in Natural Sciences, National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholars, Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) scholars and International Olympiad medallists pursuing Bachelor/ Master level courses in Natural Sciences are also eligible

Subjects offered under SHE

The following subjects under Basic and Natural Sciences are within the scope of INSPIRE Scholarship for pursuing B.Sc./B.S./Int. M.Sc./Int. M.S. courses:

The following courses are not supported under the SHE Scholarship:

INSPIRE Scholarship 2026 Tenure

Selected candidates will be supported for a maximum period of five years, starting from the 1st year B.Sc., B.S., Int. M.Sc./Int.M.S. or until the completion of the course, whichever is
earlier. Continuation of the scholarship for the selected candidates is based on good academic performance ( i.e., within range as given in question no. 20) in the examinations conducted by the University and upon the recommendation by the Head of the Institution.

INSPIRE Scholarship Amount 2026

After selection, each student will be provided with Rs. 80,000 per annum. The Inspire scholarship amount is segregated into annual scholarship (Rs. 60,000) and summertime attachment fees (Rs. 20,000). The annual scholarship of Rs. 60,000 is deposited to the student's account at Rs. 5,000 per month.
The scholarship will be transferred to the scholar’s State Bank of India (SBI) bank account directly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. Each scholar has to open a regular Normal Savings Bank Account in any branch of State Bank of India (SBI)ONLY. Joint accounts will not be considered valid.

It may also be noted that it usually takes 3-4 months to release the scholarship after the approval of relevant documents or sanction installment notification on INSPIRE Web Portal.

The DST INSPIRE fellowship 2026 programme focusses on attracting students to pursue doctoral degree in basic and applied sciences including engineering, medicine, agriculture, veterinary, pharmacy etc. after either master’s degree in science/engineering or bachelor/ master’s degree in Medicine. The entry in INSPIRE Fellowship 2026 would be only as Junior Research Fellow (JRF). There is no direct entry into Senior Research Fellow (SRF) under the DST INSPIRE Fellowship. The JRF or SRF under this scheme shall be termed as 'INSPIRE Fellow'. For up-gradation of Fellowship, a three (3)- member Assessment Committee shall be constituted by the Vice-Chancellor/Director/Head of the Host Institute to assess the progress of the concerned INSPIRE Fellow.

INSPIRE Fellowship 2025-26 Highlights

INSIPRE Fellowship Eligiblity 2025-26

1st Rank Holders in any recognized University and academic Institutions (Excluding Autonomous Colleges) in India in Post-Graduate (PG) level examination in Basic/Applied Sciences including Engineering, Pharmacy, Agricultural sciences and Veterinary Sciences. 1st Rank Holders at the Graduate/Post-graduate Level Examination in Medicine only conducted by a University/ Institution in India are eligible to apply. 1st Rank should be obtained in university in basic/applied science subject course/program having batch size of minimum 07 students with minimum aggregate of 70% marks (or CGPA equivalent) for the entire course/ program.
OR
INSPIRE Scholars who have secured minimum 70% marks (or CGPA equivalent) in aggregate at M.Sc. or Integrated M.S. / M.Sc. 

INSPIRE PhD 2026 Tenure

Fellowship shall be tenable for a maximum period of five years from INSPIRE Fellowship “Effective Date” or completion of the PhD program (i.e. up to the date of successful Ph.D. viva voce), whichever is earlier. The fellowship shall be governed by administrative norms and guidelines of Host University/Institute.

INSPIRE Fellowship Grant 2026

Fellowship grant shall be transferred by electronic mode through PFMS to the student’s host-institute Bank Account. Public Financial Management System is being implemented by the Office of Controller General of Accounts, Ministry of Finance in partnership with National Informatics Centre.

The effective date for availing the INSPIRE Fellowship would be:
Fresh applicants who have already taken admission into Ph.D. course prior to submission of application, the date of acceptance or joining or switching over from any other fellowship to INSPIRE Fellowship will be the Effective Date. However, in any case the Effective Date would not be earlier than the date of application received at the DST.
Applicant who will be placed during selection process under “Provisional Selection” category from 9th advertisement onwards and subsequently issued “Final Offer” by gaining admission into Ph.D. Program,
“Effective Date” would be the date of uploading documents related to confirmed Ph.D. Admission or date of Ph.D. admission, whichever is later.