Government Scholarships - List of Central Scholarships in India 2025

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Dinesh GoyalUpdated on 09 Jun 2025, 12:11 PM IST

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Central Government scholarship applications are now being accepted on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). The majority of schemes have a deadline of October 31, 2025. Eligible students are encouraged to apply for the Central Government scholarships according to their qualifications. The application process is outlined on the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in. Once selected, students will receive their central government scholarships directly through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
Apply for the Central Gov Scholarship through NSP Registration online. The last date is October 31.

Government Scholarships

The central government scholarship schemes play an important role in the education sector. These schemes aim to provide financial support to students who belong to low-income families. These Central Government scholarship applications are now being accepted on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). The central government scholarships focus on relieving financial burdens and ensuring equal educational opportunities for all.

List of Central Scheme Scholarships in India

Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and other central ministries provide a lot of scholarships to students. Here's a comprehensive list of central government scholarships available in India for the year 2025. Refer to the tables below to find details for some of the scholarships offered by different departments for the year 2025.

Central Government Scholarships by Ministry of Minority Affairs

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Scholarship Amount
Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Students with at least 50% in the last exam, family income of not more than Rs 1 lakh.	Admission fee- Rs 500/- per year ( both Hosteller & Day Scholar) Tuition fee- Rs 350/- per month Maintenance allowance - Rs 100 /- per month (Classes 1 to 5) Rs 600/- per month for Hosteller, Rs 100/- per month for Day Scholar (Classes 6 to 10)
Post Matric Scholarships Scheme for Minorities	Students having at least 50% marks in the previous exam, and family Income should be less than 2 lakh.	Admission & Tuition fee- Rs 7,000/- per annum For Technical, vocational courses- 10,000/- per annum Admission and tuition fee for UG & PG level: Rs 3,000/- per annum Maintenance fee Rs 380/- per month for Hosteller & Rs 230/- per month for Day Scholar
Merit Cum Means Scholarship For Professional and Technical Courses CS	Students having at least 50% marks in the previous exam, and family Income should be less than 2.50 lakh.	Course fee - Rs 20,000/- per annum, subject to actuals, whichever is less. Maintenance allowance - Rs 1,000/- per month* for Hosteller, Rs 500/- per month* for Day Scholar. Full course fee is reimbursed for 85 listed Institutes.

Central Government Scholarships by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Scholarship Amount
Pre-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	Students of Class 9th & 10 with 40% disability & above, Family Income does not exceed Rs 2.50 lakh	Maintenance allowance - Rs 500 for Day Scholars & Rs 800/- for Hostellers. Book allowance - Rs 1,000 Disability allowance - Rs 2,000 - 4,000
Post-matric Scholarship for Students with Disabilities	10th passed students with more than 40% disability, family income should be less than Rs 2.50 lakh	Maintenance allowance - Hostellers - Rs 1200 & Day Scholars - Rs 650 Disability allowance - Rs 2,000 - 4,000 Reimbursement of admission and tuition fees: Up to Rs 1.40 lakh per annum (subject to actual amount) Book allowance - Rs 1,500
Scholarships for Top Class Education for students with disabilities.	For graduate & post-graduate students with more than 40% disability. Family Income should not exceed Rs 8 lakh	Maintenance allowance - Rs 3,000 per month for Hostellers & Rs 1,500 per month for Day Scholars. Special allowance - Rs 2,000 per month. Book allowance - Rs 5,000 per month. Reimbursement of admission and tuition fee up to Rs 1.90 lakh per annum. Reimbursement of expenses for the purchase of a computer with accessories - Rs 45,000 as a one-time grant in the first year. Some more miscellaneous allowances are provided as per norms.

Central Government Scholarships by Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Scholarship Name

Eligibility Criteria

Scholarship Amount

National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education of ST Students - Scholarship (Formally Top Class Education for Schedule Tribe Students)

Students belonging to SC category should get admission and registration for regular and full-time M.Phil/Ph.D courses.

Maximum 36 years, as on the first day of July of the scholarship year.

M.Phil - Rs 31,000/-per month

Ph.D - Rs 31000/- for first two years and Rs 35000/- for the remaining 3 years

Annual contingency and other scholarship amounts will also be provided.

Central Government Scholarships by Department of School Education & Literacy

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Scholarship Amount
National Means Cum Merit Scholarship	Students of Class 8th with a minimum of 55% marks in Class 8 can appear in the NMMS Exam, and family income up to Rs 3.50 lakh	Rs 12,000/- per annum @ Rs 1,000 per month.

Also, check:

Central Government Scholarships by Department of Higher Education

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Scholarship Amount
Central Sector Scheme of Scholarships for College and University Students	Class 12 passed students with above 80th percentile, family income upto Rs 4.5 lakh	Graduation level- Rs 12,000 per annum for first three years of College. Post-graduation level- Rs 20,000 per annum. Professional courses- Rs 20,000 per annum in the 4th and 5th year. Technical courses - Rs 12,000. for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year and Rs 20,000 in the 4th year

Central Government Scholarships by Ministry of Home Affairs

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Scholarship Amount
Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme For Central Armed Police Forces And Assam Rifles	Wards of deceased CAPFs & Assam Rifles personnel, minimum 60% marks in 10+2/Diploma/Graduation	For Male - Rs 2,500/- p.m For Female- Rs 3,000/- p.m
Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme for Wards Of States/Uts Police Personnel Martyred during Terror/Naxal Attacks	Wards of deceased CAPFs & AR personnel, minimum 60%marks in 10+2/Diploma/Graduation	For Male- Rs 2,500/- p.m For Female- Rs 3,000/- p.m

Central Government Scholarships by RPF/RPSF, Ministry of Railway

Scholarship Name

Eligibility Criteria

Scholarship Amount

Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme For RPF/RPSF

Minimum 60% marks in 10+2/Diploma/Graduation.

Wards of RPF/RPSF personnel.

For Male- Rs 2,500/- p.m
For Female- Rs 3,000/- p.m

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How are scholarships disbursed?

Scholarships are disbursed directly to students' bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for transparent and prompt payments.

Q: What are central government scholarships?

Central government scholarships are financial aids provided to economically disadvantaged students by various ministries to ensure equal educational opportunities and reduce financial burdens.

Q: Who is eligible for National Scholarship Schemes?

Eligibility varies by scholarship but generally requires meeting academic criteria and coming from families within specified income limits. Details are available on scholarships.gov.in.

Q: How can students apply?

Students can apply through the National Scholarship Portal, registering, filling out forms, and submitting required documents as per each scholarship's guidelines.

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