INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility 2025-26 - Check Age Limit, Selection Criteria Here

Eligibility Criteria for INSPIRE Scholarship 2025-26

Students must meet the following eligibility criteria to be considered for selection in the INSPIRE Scholarship 2025–26.

Educational Eligibility Criteria for INSPIRE Scholarship

• Applicants must be among the top 1% of students from their respective Class 12th board examinations, conducted by any state or central education board in India.

• Students who have secured a rank within the top 10,000 in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) are eligible to apply.

• Eligible candidates must be currently studying or thinking of studying courses in basic and natural sciences like B.Sc., B.S., Integrated M.Sc./M.S.

• Applicants should fall within the age group of 17-22 years as of the year of application.

• Students who are scholars of Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS), National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), or International Olympiads, and are studying natural science at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, are also eligible.

Courses Covered under INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility

The INSPIRE scholarship 2025-26 is only acceptable for students who are pursuing studies in various disciplines of B.Sc./B.S./Int. M.Sc./Int. M.S. courses: (1) Physics (2) Chemistry (3) Mathematics (4) Biology (5) Statistics (6) Geology (7) Astrophysics (8) Astronomy (9) Electronics (10) Botany (11) Zoology (12) Biochemistry (13) Anthropology (14) Microbiology (15) Geophysics (16) Geochemistry (17) Atmospheric Sciences & (18) Oceanic Sciences.

Courses Not Accepted under INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility

Courses in other disciplines such as Medicine, Agriculture, Psychology, Engineering, Seed Technology, Military Science, Anthropology, Defense Studies, Home Science, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Geography, Economics, Physical Education, Education, Computer Science, Information Technology, Computer Applications, and Instrumentation are not eligible for the INSPIRE Scholarship 2025-26. Courses in distance education mode at Open Universities and other professional courses are not supported.

Documents Required for Application of INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility 2025-26

While applying for the INSPIRE Scholarship 2025-26, candidates must submit a few important documents. The list of documents which should be submitted as scanned documents is mentioned below:

• Passport-size photograph (mandatory)

• Class 10th mark sheet (mandatory)

• Class 12th mark sheet (mandatory)

• Certificate specifying rank in JEE Main or NEET (if applicable)

• Caste certificate (for OBC/SC/ST candidates)

• Certificate of achievement in recognised national/international competitions (if applicable)

• Endorsement form signed by Principal/Director/Registrar of the current college/institute/university (mandatory)

• Any other relevant documents as specified

INSPIRE Scholarship Selection Process 2025-26

• The INSPIRE scholarship selection process does not involve any exam, online or offline. Students are shortlisted based on the marks scored in Class 12th.

• Board-specific cutoff scores will be published on the official website as a PDF file. For the DST INSPIRE scholarship, students who achieve equal to or more than the cutoff marks are shortlisted.

• The selected students must open a savings account with SBI Bank and link it to their Aadhar card.

• Additionally, they need to upload a scanned copy of the first page of their passbook that has been self-attested to the DST web portal.

INSPIRE Scholarship Amount and Duration

The scholarship is awarded for a maximum of five years or until the completion of the course, whichever is earlier. The selected students will receive a total scholarship amount of Rs 80,000 per annum. This includes:

• Rs 60,000 as an annual scholarship which is disbursed Rs 5000 per month.

• Rs 20,000 as a summer research attachment fee for those participating in summer research projects.

INSPIRE Scholarship Cutoff 2025-26

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) releases the INSPIRE Scholarship 2025–26 cutoff marks. These cutoffs, provided as a selection list, indicate the minimum marks required for consideration. Applicants can also refer to the previous year’s cutoffs for guidance.

INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility Criteria: Application Procedure

To apply for the INSPIRE Scholarship 2025-26, eligible candidates must visit the official website online-inspire.gov.in. The INSPIRE scholarship application process involves creating a valid email account, registering on the portal, and uploading the required documents in the specified format.

Things to Keep in Mind to Avoid Rejection

To ensure a successful application, candidates must carefully review the eligibility criteria and be ready with all the documents mentioned which are to be uploaded. Common reasons for rejection include the following.

• Not meeting the top 1% criteria in Class 12th.

• Applying for a course not covered under the INSPIRE Scholarship guidelines.

• Submitting duplicate applications.

• Failing to meet the required cutoff marks in Class 12th board examinations.

• Incorrectly filled or missing application forms and documents.

Also, read:

• INSPIRE Scholarship Result 2025-26

• Scholarships in India