Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT: Full Time PhD Candidates

What is the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for full-time PhD candidates?

The Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme for Electronics and IT is a fellowship programme of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), implemented through Digital India Corporation. According to the scheme's salient features, it was launched to increase the number of PhDs in Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) and IT/IT-enabled services (IT/ITES) in India. Its first phase concluded in December 2025 after producing more than a thousand PhDs; Phase II, with an outlay of Rs 481.93 crore over nine years, aims to support 1,000 full-time PhD candidates across participating institutions.

For a full-time PhD candidate, the scheme provides a fellowship of Rs 38,750 per month in the first and second years and Rs 43,750 per month in the third, fourth and fifth years, along with a research contingency grant of up to Rs 1,20,000 per year and reimbursement of house rent as per Government of India rules. A limited number of candidates also receive travel and stay support for a six-month research visit to laboratories abroad. Support is provided for a maximum of five years.

An important point for readers: this is not a scheme you apply for directly on a government website for a personal grant. Candidates join it by getting admitted to a participating institute that is supported under the scheme, which then enrols them for the fellowship.

Who is eligible for the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme as a full-time candidate?

You can apply if you meet one of these academic bars and are admitted to a participating institute:

• M.E./M.Tech or equivalent in an appropriate area with a minimum CGPA of 6.5 on a 10-point scale (or 60% marks). SC/ST candidates require 6.0 CGPA or 55%.
• B.E./B.Tech with an excellent academic record and a CGPA of at least 8.0 (or 75% marks); graduates of IITs/NITs need at least 7.0 CGPA, with a 0.5 point relaxation for SC/ST candidates.
• Admission to a full-time PhD in an ESDM or IT/ITES area at an institute supported under the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme.

You cannot apply if:

• You do not meet the academic cut-offs for your qualification.
• Your PhD is in a subject outside ESDM and IT/ITES.
• You are not admitted to a participating institute — there is no direct individual application to MeitY or the scheme portal for a personal grant.
• You are pursuing the PhD on a part-time basis (part-time candidates fall under a separate, differently-funded category of the scheme, not this one).

A GATE or NET scorecard is not universally mandatory but is submitted where applicable and can strengthen a candidate's case in the institute's selection process.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme

1. Identify a participating institute. Check the scheme portal (phd.dic.gov.in) and institute websites for colleges supported under the Visvesvaraya PhD Scheme in ESDM or IT/ITES areas.
2. Watch for the PhD admission notification. Participating institutes such as NITs, IIITs and IITs advertise PhD admissions under the scheme, usually with an application form and deadline.
3. Apply through the institute's process. Submit your application (often an online form with a consolidated PDF of documents), sit the institute's written test/interview as required, and secure admission.
4. Get enrolled for the fellowship. Once admitted as a full-time PhD candidate under the scheme, the institute registers you on the scheme portal and initiates the fellowship.
5. Provide bank and Aadhaar details so the monthly fellowship, contingency and rent reimbursement can be paid by direct benefit transfer.

How much does the scheme provide?

The full-time Visvesvaraya PhD fellowship provides:

• Rs 38,750 per month in years one and two.
• Rs 43,750 per month in years three, four and five.
• A research contingency grant of up to Rs 1,20,000 per year.
• Rent reimbursement as per Government of India rules.
• Travel and stay support for a six-month research visit abroad for a limited number of candidates.

Support continues for a maximum of five years, subject to satisfactory progress.

Help and where to verify

The scheme portal at phd.dic.gov.in and the Digital India Corporation website carry the salient features, the list of participating institutes and current notifications. Because fellowship rates, contingency grants and eligibility cut-offs are set in the Phase II standard operating procedures and can be revised, confirm the exact figures on the official portal or the participating institute's admission notification before applying.