INSPIRE SHE Scholarship Statistics: Students and Funds by Year
· 1 min read · 3 official sources
INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education supported 24,276 science students in 2025-26, and DST released Rs 227.48 crore under it that year up to 12 March 2026, according to replies in Parliament. The scheme awards 12,000 scholarships a year worth Rs 80,000 each. Year-wise student and funding figures since 2021-22 are below.
INSPIRE – Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE): key numbers
Infographic
INSPIRE SHE students supported by year
Number of students supported under INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education in each financial year, from a Rajya Sabha reply published by PIB on 23 July 2026.
| Year | Students supported |
|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 18,039 |
| 2022-23 | 19,771 |
| 2023-24 | 18,236 |
| 2024-25 | 20,354 |
| 2025-26 | 24,276 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 23 July 2026
Funds for INSPIRE SHE by year
Funds allocated, released or used under the INSPIRE SHE 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 | 196.63 |
| 2022-23 | 245.44 |
| 2023-24 | 216.12 |
| 2024-25 | 218.67 |
| 2025-26 (to 12 Mar) | 227.48 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 12 March 2026
How the INSPIRE SHE scholarship works
What the numbers show
INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is the undergraduate and postgraduate stage of DST's INSPIRE programme. A Rajya Sabha reply of 23 July 2026 says 24,276 students were supported in 2025-26, up from 18,039 in 2021-22. The number dipped once, in 2023-24, and has risen in each year since.
Fresh awards and total scholars
DST describes the scheme as awarding 12,000 scholarships a year, each worth Rs 80,000 a year. A scholarship can be renewed for up to five years, so the yearly count of students supported includes continuing scholars from earlier batches as well as fresh awardees.
Funding over the years
SHE is the largest INSPIRE component by spending. Funds were Rs 196.63 crore in 2021-22, peaked at Rs 245.44 crore in 2022-23, and stood at Rs 227.48 crore in 2025-26 up to 12 March 2026. The figure for the last year covers only part of it, so the full-year amount may be higher.
What the figures do not tell you
The funding table mixes amounts allocated, released or used, as the reply itself states. A separate Lok Sabha reply of 1 April 2026 listed smaller numbers for SHE (7,976 in 2023-24, 9,494 in 2024-25 and 9,046 in 2025-26) without saying whether they count only new scholars. The tables here use the July 2026 figures, which the reply describes as students supported. No state-wise breakdown of SHE scholars has been published.
Where to check
The INSPIRE portal at online-inspire.gov.in carries the annual call, guidelines and renewal forms. DST answers questions on INSPIRE in most sessions of Parliament, and PIB publishes those replies.
Frequently asked questions
How many INSPIRE SHE scholarships are given each year?
DST says the scheme awards 12,000 scholarships each year. Because a scholarship can run for up to five years, the total number of students supported in a year is higher: 24,276 in 2025-26.
How much is the INSPIRE SHE scholarship?
Rs 80,000 a year for students aged 17 to 22 studying basic and natural sciences at bachelor's and master's level, according to DST's replies in Parliament in 2026.
How much does the government spend on INSPIRE SHE?
Funds under the component were Rs 196.63 crore in 2021-22, Rs 245.44 crore in 2022-23 and Rs 227.48 crore in 2025-26 up to 12 March 2026.
Has the number of INSPIRE SHE scholars gone up?
Yes. Students supported rose from 18,039 in 2021-22 to 24,276 in 2025-26, with a small dip in 2023-24.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: INSPIRE – Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) 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=2247715)