Indian Government Study Abroad Scholarships for SC, ST & Minority Students

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Aarushi Jain
Updated on Aug 31, 2022 12:18 PM IST

Searching for study abroad scholarships for minority sections in India? Your search ends here. This article will cover some of the top study abroad scholarships for minorities.

Indian Government Study Abroad Scholarships for SC, ST & Minority Students

Study Abroad Scholarships for Minorities: A global education may change your life, which is why millions of students leave their home countries each year to study abroad. However, the prices can be prohibitively expensive for many, and the only way for them to pursue their ambition of studying abroad is through study abroad scholarships that are specially meant for minorities in our country.

Many Indian students aspire to study overseas, and the government assists them by offering financial assistance. Having said that, it is a big myth that a lot of students have that there are no scholarships for minority sections of society. To burst out this myth, we have created this well-versed article highlighting some of the top study abroad scholarships for minorities in our country.

Who are Minorities?

Before highlighting the top study abroad scholarships for minorities in India, let us first understand what is meant by the term minority.

The term minority has been defined in Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, which states that a minority is a community that the Central Government has designated as such. While the Act does not define the term minority, it does state that the Centre will notify and designate minorities. In India, six communities are currently classified as minorities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Paris), and Jains.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented various scheme categories for these six minority communities. The following scheme categories are as follows:

  • Educational Schemes

  • Economic Schemes

  • Socio-Economic Schemes

In more simple words, the minority is a culturally, ethnically, or racially distinct group that coexists but is subordinate to a more dominant group. This subordination, as the term is used in the social sciences, is the most distinguishing feature of a minority group.

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Study Abroad Scholarships for Minorities, SC and ST Students

Going abroad to pursue higher education costs a lot of money. It is nearly impossible to cover all expenses while abroad, including course fees, house rent, food bills, and other costs. This is why, in order to pursue higher education abroad, a good scholarship must be obtained that will help you financially to cover your different types of study abroad expenses.

There are many deserving students in India, particularly SC, ST, OBC, and Economically Backward Class (EBC) candidates, who have the potential to succeed if given financial support. That is why the Indian government has introduced many scholarships for students from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and other minority sections of society. These scholarships are for students who want to pursue higher education in the fields of art, agriculture, law, medicine, and engineering in foreign universities.

Let us discuss some of the top study abroad scholarships for minorities and SC/ST students in detail.

National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe Students

The first in our list of the top study abroad scholarships for ST students is the National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Tribes. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs established the National Overseas Scholarship for ST students to benefit Scheduled Tribe students (ST). It was first introduced in 1954-55.

The scholarship provides financial assistance to selected students pursuing higher education abroad at the master's level, as well as PhD and Post-Doctoral Research Programmes in Engineering, Technology, and Science. The deadline for the national overseas scholarship n usually in March of every year.

The primary goal of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to deserving Scheduled Tribe students while also protecting and promoting their interests. The National Overseas Scholarship is available in eight different fields and has fixed slots for each field, which are listed below:

Fields of Study

Number of Fixed Slots

Engineering

7

Management

7

Economic/Finance

7

Pure Science

3

Applied Science

3

Agriculture

5

Medicine

5

Humanities

5

Social Science

5

This study abroad scholarship for ST students is only available until the course is completed or until the following period (whichever comes first):

Degree Types

Duration

Post Doctoral

1.5 years

PhD

4 years

Masters

3 years

Eligibility Criteria

The following are the eligibility criteria that the applicant must match to avail of this study abroad scholarship for minorities:

  • The family's annual income should be less than INR 6 lakh from all sources. The application should include a copy of the most recent tax assessment.

  • The candidate must be under the age of 35.

  • The scholarship is only available to one child of the same parents.

  • An individual can only be honoured once in his or her lifetime. He/she is not eligible for the award a second time.

  • Candidates who are already employed can apply directly to the Ministry via the online portal. However, the application is only valid if the employer provides a recommendation and a letter of recommendation.

  • For a Masters Degree, the candidate must have earned at least 55% or an equivalent grade in a related Bachelor's degree. Two years of work experience in the relevant field is preferred.

  • For a PhD degree, the candidate must have earned at least 55% or an equivalent grade in a related Master's degree. It is preferable to have 2 years of professional/research/teaching experience or an M.Phil degree in the relevant field.

  • For a Post-Doctoral Degree, the candidate must have earned at least 55% or an equivalent grade in a related Master's degree and PhD. It is preferable to have 5 years of professional/research/teaching experience in the relevant field.

National Overseas Scholarship for ST Candidates Rewards

  • Each year, 20 scholars are chosen for the National Overseas Scholarship. It is awarded to 17 candidates from scheduled tribes and 3 candidates from Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

  • 30% of the reward is reserved for female students.

  • The selected candidates will receive full tuition, visa and health insurance expenses, and airfares for the course and country of their choice.

  • An annual maintenance allowance of USD 15,400 for the United States and GBP 9,900 for the United Kingdom is also provided.

  • There is also an annual contingency and equipment allowance for books/essential apparatus/study tour/typing and binding of thesis, etc. The amount given is USD 1,532 for the United States and GBP 1,116 for the United Kingdom.

National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students

The national overseas scholarship scheme provides financial assistance to students pursuing higher education abroad. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment offers national overseas scholarships to students from Scheduled Castes (SC), denotified nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisan categories.

Students who want to pursue a master's or a doctorate degree at a prestigious foreign university can apply for this study abroad scholarship for SC students.

Eligibility Criteria

By providing scholarship opportunities, the national overseas scholarship aims to motivate students from Scheduled Caste (SC), categorised tribes and semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers, and traditional artisans. They must fulfil the following national overseas scholarship eligibility requirements:

  • Family income from all sources should not exceed INR 8,00,000 per year.

  • Candidates must be no older than 35 years old on April 1st of the academic year.

  • The national overseas scholarship is open to two children from the same family.

  • Candidates must obtain valid results in tests such as IELTS, PTE, GMAT, GRE, and others. Please keep in mind that the minimum ELP and other test scores vary by university.

  • Candidates seeking a bachelor's degree cannot apply for the national overseas scholarship.

  • Those who are currently living abroad are ineligible to apply for the national overseas scholarship.

  • For a Masters degree, candidates must have a minimum of 55% in their bachelor's degree. Candidates with two years of relevant work experience will be preferred by the selection committee.

  • For a PhD degree, candidates must have received at least 55% marksin their master's degree. Candidates with two years of teaching, research, professional expertise, and an MPhil degree in the relevant field are preferred for this study abroad scholarship for minorities.

  • For a Post-Doctoral degree, candidates must have a minimum of 55% in their master's or PhD degree. Candidates with two years of teaching, research, and professional experience in the relevant field are preferred for this study abroad scholarship for minorities.

National Overseas Scholarship for SC Students Rewards

Students who are chosen for this study abroad scholarship for the SC category can pursue their higher education in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and many other countries.

The selected candidates must apply for the national overseas scholarship rewards within one year of receiving notification from the ministry. If they do not respond within the specified time frame, the national scholarship awards will be cancelled. The following expenses are covered by the national overseas scholarship:

  • Maintenance allowance of USD 15,400 per year for students in the United States and GBP 9,900 per year for students in the United Kingdom.

  • Provision for unforeseen events

  • Tuition costs

  • Medical coverage

  • Airline tickets (economy class)

  • Travelling locally

  • Poll taxation

  • An allowance of USD 20 for incidental travel and equipment is provided.

  • Visa charges

Do note that candidates pursuing a master's degree can benefit from the Indian government's national scheme for three years. On the other hand, those pursuing a PhD will be eligible for the national scholarship benefit for four years.

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SERB Overseas Post Doctoral Fellowship Programme

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a statutory body of the Government of India's Department of Science and Technology, recently launched the Overseas Doctoral Fellowship Programme.

This study abroad scholarship for minorities rewards Indian students who have graduated from Indian universities/colleges and wish to pursue a PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Medicine at reputable international universities. The goal of the SERB Overseas Doctoral Fellowship is to build national capacity in areas of interest to the country where the number of researchers is relatively low.

The selected candidates will have the opportunity to participate in a science and engineering research project. They will also receive a consolidated monthly salary of INR 55,000, in addition to other benefits.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who have submitted their thesis but have not yet received their degree may apply for the SERB-National Post Doctoral Fellowship as well (N-PDF). They will, however, receive a lower fellowship than degree holders. Interested candidates should ensure that they meet the following requirements:

  • Candidates must be Indian.

  • They should have a PhD, MS or MD from a reputable university.

  • Candidates must be under the age of 35 at the time of application. Women candidates, as well as those from the SC/ST, OBC, and PwD categories, are given a five-year age relaxation by SERB.

  • They are only eligible to apply for the SERB-National Postdoctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) once in their careers.

  • Applicants should make certain that the proposed mentors do not have more than two fellows assigned to them at any time.

  • They should also ensure that their mentor has a PhD and is employed in an academic or research position at an Indian government-approved institution.

  • Applicants to the PDF, EMR, and SRG schemes can only submit proposals to these schemes once a year.

SERB-National Post Doctoral Fellowship Rewards

The selected fellows will be able to carry out the SERB-National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) in any academic institution, national laboratory, or research and development institution recognised by the Indian government.

However, the host institution must be able to provide the administrative and infrastructural support that the fellows require. The grant money can be used for minor equipment, domestic travel, contingencies, and consumables by the fellows. The following are the benefits of the SERB-National Postdoctoral Fellowship (N-PDF):

  • Candidates with a PhD, MD, or MS degree will be paid INR 55,000 per month.

  • Those who have submitted their theses but have yet to be awarded a degree will be paid INR 35,000 per month.

  • The providers will provide an annual research grant of INR 2,00,000.

  • They will also provide an annual overhead of INR 10,00,000.

Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi 2022 for SC/ST

The Telangana government has announced the Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi 2022. This scholarship is a study abroad scholarship for SC and ST candidates to help them complete their higher education in foreign countries. Students with a graduation or post-graduation degree who wish to pursue further studies at a university in a country other than India may apply for the Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scholarship. This scheme is only available to permanent residents of Telangana state.

This scheme was started to develop the backward communities. The goal of this scholarship programme is to provide these students from underserved communities with a secure future, which will eventually lead to the development of these communities.

Eligibility Criteria

The following are the government's eligibility requirements for students to receive grants under this scholarship scheme:

  • The applicant's family's annual income should not exceed INR 5,00,000.

  • This scholarship is only available to one child per family.

  • Candidates must have a graduation grade point average of at least 60%.

  • Must pass the GRE exam/GMAT exam and the English Proficiency Test with qualifying scores.

  • The applicant must be a permanent resident of Telangana.

  • The eligible countries to study in with this study abroad scholarship for minorities are the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, France and South Korea.

Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi 2022 for SC/ST Reward

Beneficiaries will receive the following benefits under this scholarship scheme:

  • INR 20 lakhs or the amount specified in the admission letter, whichever is less.

  • Visa fees

  • One-way economic air ticket

Padho Pardesh

Aside from the above-mentioned top study abroad scholarships for minorities, there are certain schemes of interest subsidy on educational loans for studying abroad for the students belonging to the minority sections of society.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented "Padho Pardesh," a scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies for students from minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis, who wish to pursue higher education at the Masters, MPhil, and PhD levels outside India.

According to the Indian Banks Association's (IBA) education loan scheme, the interest subsidy will be given for the period of moratorium (i.e. course period plus one year or six months after getting a job, whichever is earlier). Students can obtain an educational loan from any IBA-member private bank, public sector bank, scheduled commercial bank, or cooperative bank.

Eligibility Criteria

A candidate must have secured admission to a university abroad to pursue a Post Graduate Diploma, Master's, PhD, or MPhil programme, with an annual family income of no more than INR 6 lakhs. Family income refers to the candidate's unmarried parents' gross income or the spouse's gross income if the candidate is married.

How to avail Padho Pardesh Scheme?

When applying for a loan from a Private Bank, Public Sector Bank, Scheduled Commercial Bank, or Co-operative Bank, the candidate should inform the bank that the Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched the Padho Pardesh Scheme to assist minority community students in pursuing higher education abroad.

The concerned bank will enter the candidate's information into the Padho Pardesh Portal. Every quarter, the portal will be open for two months. Candidates must show proof of belonging to a minority community, which can be obtained from any religious body that issues such certificates or from the principal of the school/college.

Indian government scholarships cover almost every subject, degree type, and student category. These study abroad scholarships for minorities are a much-needed gift for students and candidates who want to study abroad. The best part is that they will not be required to repay the money. Scholarships and grants are similar in that they are typically awarded based on a student's financial need, merit, and social standing.

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FAQs

How can I get a study abroad scholarship as an Indian student?

To discover study abroad scholarships, you can use a variety of resources, including university websites, online scholarship databases, official study abroad pages for different countries, and so on. Academic or merit-based, need-based, athletic-based, area or minority-based, and other sorts of scholarships are the most popular.

Can a Scheduled Caste (SC) student get a scholarship to study abroad?

Yes, a Scheduled Caste (SC) student can also get a scholarship to study abroad in a country of his/her choice. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment's National Overseas Scholarship Scheme (NOS) provides support for students from SC, ST, and landless agricultural labourer households to pursue postgraduate study (master's and doctorate levels) at top-ranked universities in foreign countries like the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and more.

How can a minority student study abroad?

If you are a minority student and do not have enough money/finances/funds to study abroad, apply for some good international scholarships. This is also a good strategy to avoid taking out loans for your higher education overseas. Furthermore, if you do not have enough money to finance your abroad education, you can apply to some cost-effective or economically developed countries such as Germany and Canada.

Does the Indian government give scholarships to minorities for studying abroad?

Yes, the government of India do provide minority/SC/ST students with some study abroad scholarships to fulfil their dreams of studying abroad. The Indian government's National Overseas Scholarship Scheme. The tuition costs as well as other educational expenditures such as contingency allowance, maintenance, travel expenses, and others are covered by this Government of India grant for further studies overseas.

What is the NOS scholarship for minorites in India?

The purpose of the National Overseas Scholarship is to help low-income students from Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers, and Traditional Artisans obtain higher education, such as a Master's degree or a PhD, by studying abroad, thereby improving their economic and social status.

Who is eligible for NOS or National Overseas scholarship in India?

To be eligible for the National Overseas Scholarship in India, you must have at least 60% of the marks or equivalent grades in your qualifying examination. The qualifying exam for Ph. D courses is a Master’s Degree, while the qualifying exam for Master’s Degree courses is a Bachelor’s Degree.

Can OBC students apply for a National Overseas scholarship for minorities in India?

Yes, an OBC student can very well apply for the National Overseas scholarship to study abroad. The National Overseas Scholarship is a scholarship offered by India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Students from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds can benefit from this scheme and study abroad at an accredited and recognised university.

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