INSPIRE Fellowship Statistics: PhD Fellows, Funds and States
· 1 min read · 3 official sources
The INSPIRE Fellowship supported 3,364 PhD scholars in 2025-26, and DST released Rs 223.21 crore under the component that year up to 12 March 2026, according to replies in Parliament. Fellows get Rs 37,000 a month as JRF. Year-wise numbers since 2021-22, yearly funding and a state-wise count of current fellows are below.
Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) - Fellowship: key numbers
Infographic
INSPIRE Fellows supported by year
Number of PhD scholars supported under the INSPIRE Fellowship in each financial year, from a Rajya Sabha reply published by PIB on 23 July 2026.
| Year | Fellows supported |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 2,768 |
| 2022-23 | 2,872 |
| 2023-24 | 2,811 |
| 2024-25 | 2,448 |
| 2025-26 | 3,364 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 23 July 2026
Funds for the INSPIRE Fellowship by year
Funds allocated, released or used under the INSPIRE Fellowship component each year. The 2025-26 figure is as on 12 March 2026. From a Lok Sabha reply published by PIB on 18 March 2026.
| Year | Funds (Rs crore) |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 160.05 |
| 2022-23 | 109.00 |
| 2023-24 | 140.36 |
| 2024-25 | 129.01 |
| 2025-26 (to 12 Mar) | 223.21 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 12 March 2026
States with the most INSPIRE Fellows (2026)
Current INSPIRE Fellows by state of the host institution, for the 15 states with the most fellows. From a Lok Sabha reply published by PIB on 4 February 2026.
| State | INSPIRE Fellows |
|---|---|
| West Bengal | 381 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 249 |
| Tamil Nadu | 247 |
| Telangana | 226 |
| Delhi | 212 |
| Karnataka | 208 |
| Kerala | 172 |
| Maharashtra | 169 |
| Assam | 141 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 132 |
| Odisha | 125 |
| Punjab | 119 |
| Gujarat | 99 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 93 |
| Uttarakhand | 79 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 4 February 2026
How the INSPIRE Fellowship works
What the numbers show
The INSPIRE Fellowship is the PhD stage of DST's INSPIRE programme. A Rajya Sabha reply of 23 July 2026 says 3,364 fellows were supported in 2025-26, the highest of the five years shown. The count had dipped to 2,448 in 2024-25 before recovering. These are all fellows funded in the year, not only new entrants, since a fellowship can run for up to five years.
Funding over the years
Funds under the component were Rs 160.05 crore in 2021-22, fell to Rs 109.00 crore in 2022-23, and reached Rs 223.21 crore in 2025-26 up to 12 March 2026. The jump in 2025-26 matches the higher number of fellows supported that year and the release of grants that had been held up during the switch to a new fund flow system.
Where the fellows are
The state count is by the location of the host institute. West Bengal (381) has the most current fellows, followed by Uttar Pradesh (249), Tamil Nadu (247), Telangana (226) and Delhi (212). Several smaller states and union territories host fewer than ten fellows each, and some northeastern states host very few.
What the figures do not tell you
The year-wise table counts fellows supported, and the state table counts fellows who were current in February 2026, so the two do not match exactly. The funding table combines amounts allocated, released or used, as the reply itself states, and the 2025-26 figure is for part of the year. A separate Lok Sabha reply of 1 April 2026 gave smaller yearly figures (923 for 2025-26) without saying what they count, so they are not used in the tables here.
Where to check
The INSPIRE portal at online-inspire.gov.in carries calls, guidelines and the status of applications. DST answers questions on INSPIRE in most sessions of Parliament, and PIB publishes those replies.
Frequently asked questions
How many INSPIRE Fellows are there?
DST told the Lok Sabha in February 2026 that grants had been released for 3,143 INSPIRE Fellows for 2025-26. A Rajya Sabha reply of July 2026 put the number supported in 2025-26 at 3,364.
How much does an INSPIRE Fellow get per month?
Rs 37,000 a month as a Junior Research Fellow and Rs 42,000 a month as a Senior Research Fellow, plus admissible HRA and an annual contingency grant of Rs 20,000, for up to five years.
How much does the government spend on the INSPIRE Fellowship?
Funds under the component were Rs 160.05 crore in 2021-22, Rs 129.01 crore in 2024-25 and Rs 223.21 crore in 2025-26 up to 12 March 2026.
Which state has the most INSPIRE Fellows?
West Bengal, with 381 current fellows in February 2026, followed by Uttar Pradesh with 249 and Tamil Nadu with 247. The count is by state of the host institution.
Why were fellowship payments delayed in 2025?
DST changed the fund flow from the CNA Model-2 to the Hybrid TSA Model-1A from 16 January 2025. Host institutions had to complete onboarding before grants could be released, which took time.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) - Fellowship full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2288309)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2241758)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2223184)