National Talent Scholarship (Undergraduate)

What is the National Talent Scholarship (Undergraduate)?

The National Talent Scholarship (Undergraduate) is a scholarship of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which functions under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is aimed at students pursuing Bachelor's degrees in agriculture and allied sciences, and it rewards those who are willing to study away from their home state under ICAR's All-India admission quota. The core idea is national integration: by encouraging a student from one state to study in an agricultural university in another, the scheme spreads talent across the country's agricultural education system.

According to ICAR's National Talent Scholarship guidelines, the scholarship is worth Rs 2,000 per month, paid for the normal duration of the undergraduate degree, as long as the student keeps up satisfactory academic progress. Unlike a scholarship you apply for separately, this one is tied directly to how you gained admission: specifically, admission through the ICAR All India Entrance Examination for Admission (AIEEA-UG) under the All-India quota into an institution outside your home state.

Key features

• A fixed monthly scholarship for students in agricultural UG degrees.
• Reserved for students admitted under the ICAR All-India quota through AIEEA-UG.
• Conditional on studying in a state or union territory other than the student's own.
• Continued for the degree period subject to academic progress.

Who is eligible for the National Talent Scholarship (UG)?

You can be considered if:

• You are admitted to a Bachelor's degree in agriculture or an allied science recognised under the ICAR system.
• You gained admission through the ICAR AIEEA-UG entrance examination under the All-India quota.
• The university you are allotted is outside your home state or union territory.
• You maintain satisfactory academic progress through the course.

You cannot apply: or are usually not eligible — if:

• You were admitted within your own home state / union territory; the scholarship rewards inter-state mobility.
• You were admitted outside the ICAR All-India quota, for example, only through a state-quota seat.
• You discontinue or fail to progress in the qualifying degree.

Because eligibility is decided by the way you were admitted rather than by a means test, the single most important factor is securing an All-India-quota seat outside your home state through the AIEEA-UG examination.

How much does the scholarship pay?

The National Talent Scholarship pays Rs 2,000 per month under ICAR's guidelines. Over a full academic year that works out to Rs 24,000, and it continues for the standard length of the degree, provided the student remains enrolled and performs satisfactorily. Since scholarship rates are periodically reviewed, students should confirm the current amount with the ICAR Education Division or their institution's dean of student welfare before relying on a figure.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the National Talent Scholarship (UG)

There is no separate scholarship application form to fill in the way you would for a stand-alone scholarship. The scholarship follows automatically from the admission route, so the "application" is really the admission process:

1. Register and appear for the ICAR AIEEA-UG entrance examination for the relevant admission year.
2. Secure an All-India-quota seat in a Bachelor's degree in agriculture or an allied science, allotted to a university outside your home state or union territory through ICAR counselling.
3. Complete admission at the allotted institution and submit your domicile certificate and bank details so the institution can identify you as eligible under the All-India quota.
4. Maintain enrolment and satisfactory progress; the institution processes the monthly scholarship for eligible students and disburses it to your bank account.

Students should keep in touch with their college's academic/student-welfare office, which handles the paperwork for continuation each year.

Why the scholarship exists

Agricultural education in India is spread across state agricultural universities, deemed universities and central institutions. The National Talent Scholarship uses a small monthly incentive to nudge good students to leave their home state and study elsewhere, so that classrooms are not filled only with local students. For the student, the benefit is twofold: a modest but steady monthly sum, and exposure to a different agro-climatic region and academic culture. As with all ICAR scholarships, students should confirm current rules and rates on the official ICAR portal and never pay an intermediary to "arrange" the scholarship, which is granted purely on the basis of the admission route.