INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is a scholarship programme implemented by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. ‘SHE’ is a scholarship scheme that comes under Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE), a flagship programme of DST.
The basic objective of INSPIRE is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitement of the creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.
Meant for meritorious students undertaking bachelor’s and master’s courses in Natural and Basic Sciences, INSPIRE Scholarship offers 10,000 scholarships every year. Under SHE, each selected ‘Intermediate Passed/ Class XXI Passed’ candidate receives Rs.80,000/- annually for pursuing any subject of Natural or Basic Sciences.
INSPIRE Scholarship Highlights
Name of Scholarship |
Innovation in the Science Pursuit for Inspired Research |
Abbreviation |
INSPIRE |
Concerned Dept |
Department of Science & Technology |
Launched on |
13 November 2008 |
Academic Year |
2022-2023 |
Beneficiaries |
Science Students |
Aim |
To Encourage Students in the Fields of Science and Technology |
Scholarship Amount |
Total – Rs 80,000 per annum will be distributed through Rs 5,000 per month and a Summertime attachment fee of Rs 20,000 |
Application Process |
Online Mode |
Official Website |
Eligibility Criteria for INSPIRE Scholarship
1. Applicants must be permanent residents of India
2. The age of the applicant should be 17 to 22 years
3. Students must be pursuing their education at recognized universities.
4. All the students with aggregate marks within the top 1% of their class 12th examination of the state or Central Board in India are eligible.
5. The student must be pursuing courses in natural and basic sciences at the BSc, BS, and integrated MSc/ MS levels.
6. Students selected for Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) program are also eligible.
7. All the students who have secured rank in JEE of IIT, AIPMT (within the top 10000 ranks) and are presently pursuing natural basic sciences courses in India are eligible to apply.
Categories of INSPIRE Scholarship Programme
Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEAT)
This scholarship is part of the program which is concerned with the identification of talent in the age group of 10-15 years who study in classes VI-X. Science-focused summer camps are provided for students who are interested in the field. Moreover, it encourages them by awarding the INSPIRE Award of Rs. 5,000 to one million young talented students.
Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE)
Under this program, scholarships and mentorship are provided to 10000 students every year at Rs 80,000 per year. Students in the age group 17 to 22 years can take benefit from this program.
Assured Opportunity for a Research Career (AORC)
The first component is to inspire fellowship. Through this fellowship students in the age group, 22 to 27 years are offered 1000 scholarships every year in order to carry out a doctoral degree in basic and Applied sciences which include engineering and medicine.
The second component is an inspired faculty scheme that offers assured opportunity every year to 1000 postdoctoral researchers who are in the age group of 27 to 32 years in basic and applied science areas for five years through contractual and tenure-track positions.
INSPIRE Scholarship Selection Process
The officials evaluate the applications of the candidates based on the eligibility criteria. The officials will consider the qualification, eligibility, rank or score of the aspirants for selection. The conducting authority releases the board-wise cutoff marks on the official website in the form of a PDF.
The selection process for Inspire scholarship is given below:
1. Students who have scored more or equal to the INSPIRE Scholarship cut-off 2022 marks are selected for the DST INSPIRE Scholarship.
2. Qualified students must download the provisional offer letter and upload the required documents within the specified time.
3. Students who are selected for the scholarship are required to open a savings bank account in SBI bank.
4. They should also link the savings bank account with Aadhar.
5. They are then requested to upload the scanned file of the self-attested photocopy of the passbook’s first page on the DST portal.
6. The eligible candidates will receive the scholarship amount directly in their SBI savings bank account through direct bank transfer (DBT).
Important Documents of INSPIRE Scholarship
Name of Document |
Type and size of file |
Applicant’s passport size photograph |
JPEG format with size not more than 50 KB |
Community/caste certificate in case the applicant belongs to OBC/SC/ST category |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
Eligibility note or advisory note if provided by the State/Central Board |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
Class 12th mark sheet |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
Class 10th mark sheet or certificate (for proof of Date of Birth) |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
Certificate specifying rank/award in JEE (Main)/ JEE (Advanced)/ NEET/ KVPY /JBNSTS/ NTSE / International Olympic Medallists (if the candidate is eligible under this criterion) |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
Endorsement Form signed by the Principal of the College/Director of the Institute/Registrar of the University |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
First page of applicant’s SBI bank passbook |
PDF format with size not more than 1 MB |
INSPIRE Scholarship Renewal
The students applying for renewal need to score at least 60% marks or 7.0 GPA on a 10.0-point scale in the annual examinations each year (or 2 semesters).
If the candidate fails to secure the required marks in his/her B.Sc/BS/Int. M.Sc/Int. MS exam, the scholarship for that academic year will be cancelled.
The scholarship is resumed in the next academic year if the student’s academic performance is satisfactory.