The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) contains information about the various scholarships presented by the different Indian State Governments, the Union Government of India, and several government bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC). The NSP Portal is part of the government’s Mission Mode Project of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) and the Digital India initiative.
Through the NSP portal, students can apply for varied scholarships while the government can process, verify, and sanction the scholarships. The portal aims to eliminate discrepancies and become a platform whereby the disbursal of scholarships ensues in an effective and transparent manner.
Students can apply to both state government scholarships and central government scholarships from Class 1 up to PhD levels via this SMART (Simplified, Mission-oriented, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent) system.
Scholarships Covered
The National Scholarship Portal covers a range of scholarships categorized under:
- Central Schemes
The different departments functioning under the Government of India manage a host of scholarships to help students pursue their academic goals by offering financial support. These include the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MLE), the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), the Department of Higher Education (DHE), the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MTA), the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MOMA), and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE). Eligible students can apply for the scholarships offered by the Central Government of India through the National Scholarship Portal under the Central Schemes section.
- UGC Schemes
The University Grants Commission (UGC) works under the MHRD (Ministry of Human Resource Development). This prominent statutory body was established to maintain the standards of higher education across India. Besides offering recognition to universities, the UGC provides them with the necessary funding. Additionally, the UGC provides an array of scholarships to students for pursuing college studies.
- AICTE Schemes
The AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) comes under the Department of Higher Education, MHRD. The AICTE has been operating since the year 1945 and this statutory body is considered to be the national-level council for technical education in India. The AICTE has the responsibility of coordinating development and planning functions for both the technical and management education systems in India. In addition to approving UG and PG programs under specified categories, the AICTE provides financial support by way of scholarships to students.
- State Schemes
Similar to the Central Government, the various state governments of India also provide scholarships to students having domicile status in the respective state. Although some state governments accept scholarship applications via their own scholarship portals, others invite applications through the National Scholarship Portal. Among the 6 states offering scholarships through the NSP portal are Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Meghalaya, Karnataka, and Tripura.
Who is eligible to apply for NSP Scholarships?
The NSP portal lists the different scholarships offered by the Union Government of India and the different state governments. The eligibility norms of each NSP scholarship vary and students are advised to check the eligibility criteria of the particular scholarship before submitting their application. The NSP scholarships are meant for students pursuing Class 1 to 12, UG courses, PG programs, PhD courses, and postgraduate programs. Scholarships for the different sections of society are also found on the portal including OBC, ST, SC, EBC, and Minority Communities.