Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Candidates (now NFSC)

What was the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for SC candidates?

The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) for Scheduled Caste candidates was a research fellowship funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and administered by the University Grants Commission (UGC). It supported Scheduled Caste scholars pursuing MPhil and PhD research so that more students from SC communities could enter higher education and academic careers.

According to UGC records, the scheme provided about 2,000 fresh fellowship slots a year, split roughly as 1,500 for Humanities and Social Sciences and 500 for Science streams. Selected scholars received a monthly fellowship at UGC's Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and then Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) rates, along with House Rent Allowance and an annual contingency grant for books, travel and research expenses.

In 2019 the scheme was restructured and renamed the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC). The fellowship did not end - it continues under the new name with the same purpose and broadly the same design. New applicants should therefore apply under NFSC, not RGNF, which is why this guide treats RGNF as a renamed rather than a discontinued scheme.

Who was eligible for the fellowship?

You could apply if:

• You belonged to a Scheduled Caste and held a valid caste certificate.
• You had qualified the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship or the UGC-CSIR joint NET-JRF.
• You had secured admission to MPhil or PhD research in a UGC/AICTE-recognised university or institution.

You could not apply if:

• You did not belong to a Scheduled Caste (candidates from other categories are covered by separate fellowships such as the National Fellowship for OBC or for ST students).
• You had not qualified the required NET-JRF.
• You were already availing another fellowship of a similar nature for the same research - a scholar cannot draw two research fellowships at once.

The successor NFSC scheme carries forward the same eligibility spine: SC status, NET-JRF qualification, and admission to MPhil/PhD research.

How much did the fellowship pay?

The fellowship followed UGC's standard research-fellowship structure:

• A monthly JRF stipend for the initial years of research, stepping up to the higher SRF rate for the later years.
• House Rent Allowance as per rules where hostel accommodation is not provided.
• An annual contingency grant for books, stationery, travel and other research needs.

Because UGC revises the JRF and SRF rates periodically, the exact rupee figure depends on the year of award. The successor NFSC scheme pays at the prevailing JRF/SRF rates rather than a frozen historical amount, so applicants should check the current rate notified by UGC before relying on any specific number.

What documents were required?

How to apply for the fellowship (now NFSC)

1. Qualify the UGC-NET Junior Research Fellowship (or the UGC-CSIR joint NET-JRF) in your subject.
2. Secure admission and register for MPhil or PhD research in a UGC/AICTE-recognised university or institution.
3. Register and apply on the UGC NFSC portal, uploading your NET-JRF result, SC certificate, admission proof, Aadhaar and bank details.
4. Have your university/research institution verify and forward your claim, since fellowship release is routed through the institution.
5. Track your application and fellowship release on the NFSC portal, and raise any issue through the institution's research/scholarship cell or the UGC helpdesk.

Why the scheme was renamed

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment restructured several of its fellowship and scholarship programmes in 2019 to standardise names and administration. The RGNF for SC candidates became the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste Students (NFSC), and the parallel RGNF for ST candidates became the National Fellowship for ST students under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Scholars who were already receiving RGNF continued to be paid; the change mainly affected the name and the application portal for new applicants.

Help and grievance redressal

• Apply / track: the UGC NFSC portal (nfsc.net)
• Institutional route: your university's research or scholarship section, which forwards and certifies fellowship claims
• Policy owner: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (socialjustice.gov.in)

Applying for the fellowship is free. No agent is required, and the fellowship is released only through the recognised institution where the scholar is registered.