INSPIRE – Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)

What is the INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)?

INSPIRE – Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is a scheme of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology, that encourages talented young students to take up the study of the natural and basic sciences. It is one component of the wider Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) programme, DST's flagship scheme to attract talent to science.

According to DST, the SHE component provides scholarships of Rs 80,000 per year to about 10,000 meritorious students each year who choose to study basic and natural sciences at the undergraduate and integrated postgraduate level. The aim is to reverse the drift of top students away from pure science and towards professional courses, by rewarding those who commit to a science career early.

Main features

• Scholarship of Rs 80,000 per year: Rs 60,000 as the annual scholarship plus Rs 20,000 as a mentorship / summer-project grant.
• About 10,000 fresh scholarships offered every year.
• Tenable for up to five years of basic-science study.
• Paid by Direct Benefit Transfer into the student's bank account.

Who is eligible for the INSPIRE scholarship?

You can apply if:

• You are within the broad age band of 17 to 22 years.
• You fall into one of the eligibility routes:
• Top 1% of successful candidates in your Class 12 board examination in the science stream, or
• A qualifying rank/threshold in national examinations such as JEE Main or NEET (within the notified cut-off), or
• A qualifier in KVPY, NTSE, or an international/national science Olympiad.
• You take admission in a natural or basic-science course: B.Sc., B.S., Integrated M.Sc. or M.S., in subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Statistics or Geology at a recognised institution.

You cannot apply / are not eligible if:

• You are pursuing a professional course such as engineering, medicine, technology, pharmacy or management — these are not covered by SHE.
• You do not meet the top-1% board threshold or the qualifying national-exam rank.
• You are studying a subject outside the natural and basic sciences.

Because eligibility is anchored to fixed thresholds and a fixed number of awards, the scholarship is competitive and the exact cut-offs are notified by DST each year.

How much does INSPIRE SHE provide?

The scholarship is worth Rs 80,000 per year, made up of:

• Rs 60,000 as the annual scholarship, to support tuition and living costs; and
• Rs 20,000 as a mentorship / summer-project grant, released when the student carries out a summer project or internship under an active researcher at a recognised institution or university.

The scholarship continues for up to five years, provided the student maintains the academic performance required by the scheme (a minimum standard of marks each year). Payment is by DBT into an Aadhaar-seeded bank account.

How to apply for the INSPIRE scholarship

Applications are made online on the INSPIRE portal. The route is:

1. Go to the official INSPIRE portal at online-inspire.gov.in during the application window notified by DST.
2. Register with your details and select the SHE (Scholarship for Higher Education) component.
3. Enter your eligibility route: top-1% board rank or the qualifying national exam, and your admission details in a basic-science course.
4. Upload your Class 12 marksheet or exam rank, eligibility certificate, Aadhaar and bank details.
5. Submit the application online, and later log in to track verification and renewal each academic year.

Students should apply within the early part of their basic-science degree, as the scheme is intended to be joined at the start of higher education.

What documents are required?

Renewal and continuation

INSPIRE SHE is not a one-time award. A scholar must renew each year through the portal, showing that they have continued in the basic-science course and met the minimum academic performance. Failure to meet the performance standard, or a switch to a non-eligible professional course, ends the scholarship.

Help and where to go

Queries about eligibility, application and renewal are handled through the DST INSPIRE programme via the portal online-inspire.gov.in, where the current year's cut-offs, dates and FAQs are published. Because thresholds and the number of awards change from year to year, students should rely on the official portal for the current cycle rather than on third-party sites.