Sarkari Yojana
Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture
About Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture
The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, set up the “Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture” to support artists working in creative fields. Academicians and scientists had long had access to independent-work fellowships through bodies like the University Grants Commission and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, but no equivalent support existed for creative artists, nor was there a scheme funding advanced training or independent creative work beyond the age brackets already covered elsewhere. This scheme closes that gap, offering financial support and a creative environment — including to artists from rural and tribal areas — for research-oriented projects, provided applicants can demonstrate their capability to carry out such work. It does not, however, fund training programmes, workshops, seminars, or the writing of memoirs, autobiographies, fiction, or similar works. Fields/Area: 1. Senior/Junior Fellowships in the Field of Performing, Literary and Plastic Arts. • Performing Arts (Music/Dance/Theatre/Folk Traditional & Indigenous Arts, including Puppetry) • Literary Arts (Travelogue/History & Theory of Literature) • Plastic Arts (Graphics/Sculpture/Painting, including Folk Paintings and research on Traditional Paintings/Creative Photography) 2. Senior/Junior Fellowships in New Areas related to Culture: this covers projects in: • Indology • Epigraphy • Sociology of Culture • Cultural Economics • Structural and Engineering Aspects of Monuments • Numismatics • Scientific and Technical aspects of Conservation • Management aspects of Art and Heritage • Studies on applying science and technology to areas of culture and creativity. The goal is to encourage the analytical use of new research methods and technological or management principles to address contemporary issues in art and culture. General or theoretical macro-studies won’t be entertained — proposals should be innovative, application-oriented, and ideally interdisciplinary.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Culture
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
Senior Fellowship applicants must be above 40 years…
Senior Fellowship applicants must be above 40 years of age.
Junior Fellowship applicants must be between 25 and…
Junior Fellowship applicants must be between 25 and 40 years of age.
A graduate degree is the minimum qualification required…
A graduate degree is the minimum qualification required in the relevant field/area.
Senior Fellowship applicants must not be receiving a…
Senior Fellowship applicants must not be receiving a pension from the Ministry of Culture under the scheme for financial assistance to artists in indigent circumstances.
The same fellowship cannot be availed twice; however,…
The same fellowship cannot be availed twice; however, someone who has held a Junior Fellowship can apply for a Senior Fellowship once 5 years have passed since the earlier project closed. Note 01: Age is calculated as of 1st April of the given year. Note 02: Senior and Junior Fellowship awardees must submit a six-monthly progress report; the Ministry may withhold further payments if these reports are delayed. Note 03: Selected candidates must carry out academic or application-oriented research on the project for which they received the Fellowship, completing it within two years and submitting it to the Ministry. A maximum three-month extension is allowed without any extra financial burden on the Government. Note 04: A mid-term review of performance takes place after one year in each case, and continuation of the Fellowship depends on this review.
Benefits Provided
Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Up to 400 fellowships are awarded each year, split between two types — senior and junior. Senior Fellowship:
Number of fellowships
Number of fellowships: 200
Monthly amount
Monthly amount: ₹20,000
Age group
Age group: Above 40 years Junior Fellowship:
Number of fellowships
Number of fellowships: 200
Monthly amount
Monthly amount: ₹10,000
Age group
Age group: 25–40 years
Age is reckoned as of 1st April of…
Age is reckoned as of 1st April of the given year Publishing Grant A one-time grant, capped at ₹20,000/- or 50% of the publication cost (whichever is lower), may also be given to help publish selected project documents — available to only 20% of awardees.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Identity proof
Identity proof
Passport-size photographs
Passport-size photographs
Proof of age (birth certificate, etc.)
Proof of age (birth certificate, etc.)
Documents evidencing educational qualifications
Documents evidencing educational qualifications
Bank account details
Bank account details
Caste certificate
Caste certificate
NOC/consent letter from the employer (for employed applicants)
NOC/consent letter from the employer (for employed applicants)
For applicants employed in Central/State Government Departments/Institutions/Universities, a…
For applicants employed in Central/State Government Departments/Institutions/Universities, a written assurance from their Head of Department confirming leave will be granted for the fellowship duration, if sanctioned
An undertaking covering
An undertaking covering:
a. Whether the applicant is employed in a Central/State Government Department/Institution/University or works with no organization at all
b. Whether the applicant has previously availed of a Junior Fellowship
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture through the online application process outlined below.
Application Process:
Application Portal: Open Application Portal ↗
Applications for the Fellowship are invited every year,…
Applications for the Fellowship are invited every year, advertised in Employment News and leading State/UT newspapers in English, Hindi, and vernacular languages, as directed by the S&F section, Ministry of Culture.
Applicants must submit their applications online via the…
Applicants must submit their applications online via the Ministry of Culture website or the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) website.
Visit the Ministry of Culture's official website and…
Visit the Ministry of Culture's official website and click "MOC Schemes Application".
Click 'Registration' and complete the registration form
Click 'Registration' and complete the registration form.
Receive your Username and Password for logging in
Receive your Username and Password for logging in.
Navigate to the current scheme status and select…
Navigate to the current scheme status and select the relevant scheme.
Complete and submit the form. Post-Application Process
Complete and submit the form. Post-Application Process:
An Expert Committee, made up of specialists across…
An Expert Committee, made up of specialists across fields and set up by the Ministry of Culture, first examines all applications and shortlists the most meritorious for final selection of Fellows across the various fields/areas.
Shortlisted Junior Fellowship candidates are called for an…
Shortlisted Junior Fellowship candidates are called for an interview/discussion with the Expert Committee, which then picks the most meritorious among them for the required number of Junior Fellowships; no such interview is needed for Senior Fellowships. Note 01: Applicants employed in Central/State Government Departments/Institutions/Undertakings/Universities must take leave for the entire 2-year fellowship period, submitting their application through their Head of Department along with written assurance that leave will be granted if the fellowship is sanctioned. The first instalment is released only once proof of sanctioned leave, and other applicable conditions, are met. Contact Details: a) Section Officer, (S & F) Section at Ph. No. 011-24642133 or through e-mail: scholar-cultureat]nicdot]in in the Ministry. b) Director, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, 15-A, Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075 at Phone Number: 011- 25309300; 011-25074256, 011-25309394 or through e-mail: dirdot]ccrtat]nicdot]in
Exclusions / Who Is Not Eligible
The fellowships are not intended for providing training, conducting workshops, seminars, documenting memoirs/or writing autobiographies, fiction, etc.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.