National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme (HRD Programme in New and Renewable Energy)

What is the National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme?

The National Renewable Energy Fellowship Scheme is a component of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Programme in New and Renewable Energy run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). According to the MNRE fellowships page, the scheme funds higher studies and research in renewable-energy disciplines by supporting students and researchers with monthly stipends, allowances and contingency grants.

The scheme is meant to build a trained workforce for India's renewable-energy sector; solar, wind, bioenergy, hydrogen, energy storage and related fields; by financing study and research at recognised institutions. It covers a ladder of academic levels, from master's students through to post-doctoral fellows, rather than being a single scholarship.

This is an institutional and academic scheme, not a general cash benefit. The money follows an enrolled student or a researcher working under a guide at a participating institution. Members of the public who are not pursuing renewable energy study or research cannot apply for a personal payment.

How much does the fellowship pay?

According to the MNRE fellowships page, the monthly stipends by level are:

House Rent Allowance is paid as per central government norms where applicable, and research-track positions receive an annual contingency grant of around Rs 20,000. These figures follow CSIR/DST/UGC fellowship norms, which MNRE has adopted for the research categories.

How many fellowships are available?

The scheme was structured to support roughly 75 fellowships a year over five years (FY 2021-22 to 2025-26), or about 375 positions in total. The annual intake was planned as approximately 35 M.Tech, 10 M.Sc, 20 JRF, 5 SRF (direct entry) and 5 RA/PDF positions. Actual numbers depend on the year's advertisements and budget.

Who is eligible for the National Renewable Energy Fellowship?

You can apply if:

• You are pursuing or seeking admission to an M.Tech / M.Sc programme in a renewable-energy discipline at a participating institution — an AICTE/GATE-based route applies for M.Tech.
• You qualify as a JRF or SRF under CSIR/DST/UGC norms and work under an approved guide on a renewable-energy research problem.
• You hold a PhD and take up a Research Associate / Post-Doctoral Fellow position in the field.

You cannot apply if:

• You are not enrolled in, or admitted to, a qualifying renewable-energy study or research programme at a participating institution.
• You do not meet the GATE / NET / PhD requirement attached to the level you seek.
• You are a member of the public looking for a direct cash grant, the scheme funds study and research only, so such applicants are not eligible.

MNRE has said it is guided by CSIR/DST/UGC norms for research positions, AICTE guidelines for M.Tech and Department of Biotechnology norms for M.Sc. The detailed eligibility for each call is set out in the administrative approval and the advertisement.

What documents are required?

• Academic qualification certificates and marksheets
• Valid GATE or NET/UGC scorecard where the level requires it
• Research proposal or synopsis for JRF/SRF/RA candidates
• Endorsement from the participating institution
• Bank account and Aadhaar details for disbursement

How to apply for the National Renewable Energy Fellowship

1. Identify a participating institution offering M.Tech, M.Sc or research positions supported under the MNRE HRD programme in renewable energy.
2. Watch hrd.mnre.gov.in and institution notice boards for the current advertisement and its eligibility, level and deadline.
3. Ensure you meet the level-specific requirement, GATE for M.Tech, or CSIR/DST/UGC eligibility for JRF/SRF/RA.
4. Submit your application to the institution with your qualification certificates, GATE/NET proof, research synopsis (if applicable) and institutional endorsement.
5. If selected, complete joining formalities and provide bank and Aadhaar details so the monthly fellowship can be disbursed.

Because the scheme runs through periodic calls and participating institutions, there is no single always-open online form. Always check the MNRE HRD portal for the live advertisement before applying.

Help and contact

• Portal: hrd.mnre.gov.in and mnre.gov.in (Human Resource Development section)
• Office: MNRE HRD Division, Atal Akshaya Urja Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110003

Applicants should verify the current stipend, intake and eligibility against the live advertisement, as figures follow CSIR/DST/UGC norms that are revised from time to time.

How to check your application status

There is no single centralized online dashboard where a candidate can log in and track a running application number for this fellowship, because the scheme is administered through participating institutions rather than a direct-to-applicant MNRE portal. Status checks work differently depending on which stage you are at.

If you have applied to an institution's advertised call:

1. Contact the institution's admission cell or the research guide/department that advertised the M.Tech, JRF, SRF or RA/PDF position. Institutions typically maintain their own shortlisting timeline and communicate results by email, notice board or their own admission portal, since they are the ones who forward selections to MNRE for stipend approval.
2. Check the institution's own website or notice board for shortlist and interview announcements tied to the specific advertisement you responded to.
3. If you appeared for an interview or selection test, ask the department for the expected date of the result, most institutions announce results within a few weeks of the interview, though this varies by call.

If you have been selected and are waiting for fellowship disbursement to start:

1. Follow up with your institution's accounts or fellowship section, since the institution processes and forwards stipend claims to MNRE's HRD Division rather than MNRE paying candidates directly in most cases.
2. If a first disbursement is delayed after joining, ask the institution whether your bank and Aadhaar details have been verified and forwarded, incomplete bank details are a common cause of delay at this stage.
3. For queries the institution cannot resolve, write to the MNRE HRD Division at hrd.mnre.gov.in (see the Contact Us section) or the MNRE HRD Division office in New Delhi, referencing your institution name, fellowship level and the advertisement or approval reference if you have one.

General guidance: Keep a copy of your application acknowledgment, the advertisement you responded to, and any reference or roll number the institution issues. Because this is a periodic, institution-routed scheme rather than an always-open portal with a tracking ID, the institution is usually the fastest and most reliable point of contact for status updates, MNRE's HRD Division is the right escalation point only once the institution itself cannot answer.

Common reasons for rejection

Applications and candidatures under this fellowship are turned down for reasons that are specific to how the scheme is structured, an academic and research programme routed through institutions rather than a simple form-based subsidy.

• Not meeting the level-specific qualifying requirement. M.Tech applicants without a valid GATE score, or JRF/SRF applicants who do not meet CSIR/DST/UGC eligibility norms for that fellowship category, are rejected at the screening stage regardless of academic merit otherwise. Fix: confirm the exact qualifying requirement stated in the specific advertisement before applying, and do not assume the general norms alone are sufficient, some calls add institution-specific cutoffs.

• Applying outside a live advertisement or admission cycle. Because there is no always-open form, candidates who send unsolicited applications to MNRE or an institution outside an active call are simply not considered. Fix: apply only against a specific, currently open advertisement published on hrd.mnre.gov.in or the institution's own site.

• Missing or unendorsed institutional sponsorship. JRF, SRF and RA/PDF positions require an approved guide or department willing to admit and supervise the candidate; an application without this institutional endorsement is incomplete. Fix: secure a guide or department's agreement to take you on before or alongside submitting your application, this is usually a prerequisite rather than something arranged afterward.

• Weak or missing research proposal for research-track applicants. JRF, SRF and RA/PDF selection typically weighs the research synopsis and its fit with renewable-energy priorities; a generic or poorly aligned proposal is a common reason strong candidates on paper are still not selected. Fix: tailor the proposal specifically to a renewable-energy problem (solar, wind, bioenergy, hydrogen, storage) and to the expertise of the guide under whom you are applying.

• Incomplete documentation at the disbursement stage. Selected candidates who delay submitting bank account and Aadhaar details, or submit mismatched details, see their first stipend payment held up even though they have been selected. Fix: complete joining formalities and submit verified bank and Aadhaar information promptly once selected, and confirm with the institution's accounts section that the details have been forwarded to MNRE.

• Duration or progress-review lapses after selection. Continuation of the fellowship for JRF, SRF and RA/PDF levels is subject to satisfactory progress reviews; candidates who do not meet academic or research progress milestones can have renewal declined even after an initial award. Fix: track the review schedule set by your institution and guide, and ensure progress reports or reviews are submitted on time to avoid a lapse in renewal.

Because eligibility norms, advertisement timing and institutional processes all sit outside MNRE's direct control, the most reliable way to avoid rejection is to read the specific advertisement carefully and confirm requirements with the sponsoring institution before applying, rather than relying on the general scheme description alone.