ICAR Junior Research Fellowship for Post-Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences (ICAR-JRF PGS)

What is the ICAR-JRF (PGS)?

The ICAR Junior Research Fellowship for Post-Graduate Studies in Agricultural Sciences, ICAR-JRF (PGS), is a merit fellowship of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the apex body for farm research and education under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. According to the ICAR Education Division guidelines, the fellowship supports selected students through a master's degree (course work and research) in agricultural and allied sciences at approved universities.

ICAR-JRF (PGS) is not a scholarship you apply for with a separate form. It is attached to a rank in the All India Competitive Entrance Examination for post-graduate admission, the AIEEA-PG, whose fellowship-linked component is often called AICE-JRF: conducted on ICAR's behalf by the National Testing Agency (NTA). A fixed number of fellowships is set aside each year and awarded strictly by merit and reservation to the highest-ranked qualifiers.

Key facts

• Purpose: financial support for master's study in agriculture and allied sciences.
• Value: Rs 8,640 per month for most disciplines; Rs 12,000 per month for veterinary sciences; a contingency grant of Rs 6,000 per year in both cases.
• Duration: two years, the standard length of a master's programme.
• Route: won through the ICAR AIEEA-PG / AICE-JRF entrance examination.

How much does the ICAR-JRF (PGS) provide?

According to the ICAR-JRF/SRF (PGS) guidelines, the monthly fellowship is Rs 8,640 for candidates in most agricultural disciplines and Rs 12,000 for those in veterinary sciences. In addition, each fellow receives a contingency grant of Rs 6,000 per year to help meet the cost of books, stationery, travel for field work and similar academic expenses.

The fellowship is tenable for the two-year duration of the master's programme, subject to satisfactory progress. It is released through the university where the student is enrolled, not paid directly by ICAR to the student, and continued payment depends on attendance and academic performance certified by the institution. The rates and contingency grant are revised periodically by the Council, so a fresh awardee should confirm the current figure with the ICAR Education Division or the admitting university.

Who is eligible for the ICAR-JRF (PGS)?

You can be considered if:

• You hold, or are in the final year of, a relevant bachelor's degree in agriculture or an allied science from a recognised university.
• You have at least 60% marks or an OGPA of 6.60/10.00 in the qualifying degree. SC, ST and Persons-with-Disability candidates need 55% or 5.50/10.00.
• You are at least 19 years old on the date of the entrance examination.
• You appear in, and rank high enough in, the ICAR AIEEA-PG / AICE-JRF examination for the discipline and category you belong to.

You cannot get the fellowship if:

• You do not sit for, or do not rank within the sanctioned merit-cum-reservation quota in, the ICAR entrance examination — admission alone does not carry the fellowship.
• Your bachelor's degree does not meet ICAR's eligibility norms (for example, many three-year general-science degrees are not accepted for the ICAR-AU system except at certain deemed universities).
• You already hold another fellowship or scholarship for the same course; a fellow may draw only one award at a time.
• You take admission at a university that is not approved by ICAR for the fellowship.

How to apply for the ICAR-JRF (PGS)

There is no direct fellowship application. You compete for ICAR-JRF (PGS) through the entrance examination, so the steps are the admission steps:

1. Watch for the ICAR AIEEA-PG / AICE-JRF notification published by the National Testing Agency and linked from the ICAR website, usually issued ahead of the academic session.
2. Register and apply online on the NTA examination portal within the notified window, choosing your subject group and uploading the required documents and fee.
3. Appear for the computer-based examination on your allotted date and secure a rank in your discipline and category.
4. Take part in the online counselling / seat-and-fellowship allotment, where JRF (PGS) awards are given to the top-ranked qualifiers within the sanctioned quota.
5. Confirm admission at the allotted ICAR-approved university and submit the fellowship claim; the university then disburses the monthly amount and contingency grant on ICAR's behalf.

Where the fellowship can be used

ICAR-JRF (PGS) is tenable only at universities approved by ICAR for the purpose: State Agricultural Universities, ICAR Deemed-to-be Universities and select central universities with agricultural faculties. The fellowship supports the recognised master's programme in the awarded discipline and cannot be carried to an unapproved institution or transferred to a different level of study.

A note for readers

ICAR-JRF (PGS) is a narrow, examination-linked award rather than an open-ended welfare scheme, so the material that genuinely applies to it is limited to the entrance route, the fellowship value and the tenure conditions above. Prospective candidates should always confirm the current-year eligibility, marks bands and fellowship rates in the official ICAR notification and guidelines before relying on any figure, because ICAR revises these periodically.

Help and where to verify

• ICAR Education Division, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan-II, Pusa, New Delhi, for fellowship and guideline queries.
• National Testing Agency examination portal, for AIEEA-PG / AICE-JRF registration, admit cards and results.
• The admitting university's academic / scholarship section, for disbursement of the monthly fellowship and contingency grant.