📌About the Event

The National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC) 2026 is a Government of India fellowship scheme designed to support Scheduled Caste (SC) students pursuing advanced research and higher education in India. Funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and implemented by the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC), the scheme provides financial assistance to eligible research scholars in Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences. With 2,000 new fellowship opportunities annually, NFSC helps deserving scholars pursue full-time research at recognized Indian universities and institutions. Selected scholars can receive a monthly fellowship of up to ₹42,000, along with additional allowances, subject to scheme guidelines.

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ℹ️ Event Details

• Event Type: Government Fellowship / Research Scholarship
• Mode of Application: Online
• Mode of Selection: Merit-based, through UGC-NET-JRF or Joint CSIR-UGC-NET-JRF examinations.
• Mode of Conduct: Computer-Based Test (CBT) for the relevant NET examination, followed by full-time, institution-based research.
• Location: India
• Target Audience: Scheduled Caste students interested in pursuing M.Phil./Ph.D. research, subject to current university admission regulations.
• Total Fellowships: 2,000 new fellowships annually

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📅 Important Dates

• Last Date to Apply: 28 October 2026, 11:50 PM
• Admit Card Release: 7 December 2026
• Examination Dates: 14–18 December and 21 December 2026

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🎯 Eligibility & Rules

• Eligibilty:
• Nationality: Applicants must be Indian nationals belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
• Academic Qualification: For UGC-NET December 2026, SC candidates generally require at least 50% marks in a recognized master’s degree or equivalent qualification.
• Research Programme: The fellowship supports eligible candidates pursuing regular, full-time research in recognized Indian universities and institutions.
• Qualifying Examination: Candidates must qualify through the applicable UGC-NET-JRF or Joint CSIR-UGC-NET-JRF selection route.
• Age Limit: The NFSC scheme has no separate age limit, according to the Ministry’s March 2026 clarification. However, the UGC-NET December 2026 bulletin specifies a JRF age limit of 30 years, with up to five years’ relaxation for SC candidates; applicants should check the applicable examination and fellowship conditions.

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🏆 Benefits for the Participants

• Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): ₹37,000 per month for the first two years.
• Senior Research Fellowship (SRF): ₹42,000 per month for the remaining three years, subject to satisfactory research progress.
• Maximum Fellowship Duration: Five years or until submission of the Ph.D. thesis, whichever is earlier.