Sarkari Yojana
National Overseas Scholarship For Scheduled Tribes (ST) Students
About National Overseas Scholarship For Scheduled Tribes (ST) Students
Run by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, this scholarship helps regular, full-time Scheduled Tribe students pursue post-graduate study — Master’s, Ph.D., or Post-Doctoral Research — at foreign institutes/universities, with the scheme administered through Indian Embassies/Missions abroad under the Ministry of External Affairs. Women are guaranteed 30% of the awards, Bachelor-level courses of any kind are excluded, and funding lasts until the course/research is finished or its prescribed duration ends, whichever comes first.
An Expert Committee draws up an interview-based merit list to make selections. The scholarship bundles tuition fees, an Annual Maintenance Allowance of USD 15400, Contingency Charges of USD 1532, Poll Tax, Visa Fee, Medical Insurance, air travel costs, and incidental journey expenses. It covers these fields of study:
1. Pure/Applied Science/Engineering/Technology/Mathematics(STEM), 1. Management, 1. Economics, 1. Finance, 1. Law, 1. Agriculture/Medicine, 1. Humanities/Social Science/Fine Arts.
- Number of Award:
Every year, 20 awards go to ST students, split as follows: Sl. NoCategoryNo. of Award 1.Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates 172.Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)03Total20 – Subjects and Slots covered under the Scheme:
Here’s how the available slots break down by field of study for students opting to study abroad: Field of studyNumber of slots for the field of study Pure/Applied Science/ Engineering/Technology/ Mathematics (STEM) 10Management, Economics, Finance, Law04Agriculture/Medicine04Humanities/Social Science/Fine Arts 02 – Duration of award with Financial Assistance:
Support runs until the course/research finishes, or until its prescribed duration ends, whichever happens sooner: Sl. NoCourseMaximum Duration 1.Post-Doctoral Research 2 years 2.Ph. D4 years (four years) 3.Master’s Degree 1 or 2 years (One/Two years) depending upon the type and duration of the Course.
Scheme Overview
Central Government
Ministry Of Tribal Affairs
Ministry Of External Affairs (MEA)
Individual
Scheme Details
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for National Overseas Scholarship For Scheduled Tribes (ST) Students, applicants must satisfy the following conditions:
The applicant must belong to a Scheduled Tribe (ST).
The applicant must be pursuing a post-graduate course -- Master's, Ph.D., or Post-Doctoral Research -- at a foreign institute/university.
The applicant's family income, from all sources, must not exceed ₹ 6,00,000/- a year.
The applicant must have scored at least 55% marks (or an equivalent grade) in the qualifying examination -- a Ph.D. for Post-Doctoral applicants, a Master's Degree for Ph.D. applicants, and a Bachelor's Degree for Master's applicants.
The applicant must be the only child in the family drawing (or who has drawn) this scholarship.
Age Criteria:-
For Post-Doctoral Research, the applicant must be no older than 38 as on 1st July of the selection year.
For Ph.D., the applicant must be no older than 35 as on 1st July of the selection year.
For Masters, the applicant must be no older than 32 as on 1st July of the selection year.
Income Criteria:-
Only students whose family income, from all sources, is at or below ₹ 6,00,000/- (Rupees Six lakhs only) a year qualify for the scholarship, with family income worked out as follows: -
Where both parents work, their combined income from every source counts toward total family income.
Income earned by any family member other than the father or mother is excluded from the total family income calculation.
Where only one parent is alive, only that parent's income counts; any earning sibling's or other family member's income is excluded.
Income criteria don't apply to an orphan supported by a guardian.
Note:-
Every year, 30% of awards are set aside…
Every year, 30% of awards are set aside for women candidates.
Where the scheme's terms don't turn up enough…
Where the scheme's terms don't turn up enough eligible women, the unused slots go to suitable male candidates instead.
There are 17 slots for ST candidates and…
There are 17 slots for ST candidates and 3 for PVTG candidates.
Each individual can receive only one award under…
Each individual can receive only one award under the Scheme and cannot be considered again for any award, at the same or a higher level, a second time. Other Conditions:-
Selected candidates must submit whatever documents and sign…
Selected candidates must submit whatever documents and sign whatever agreements the Government of India specifies from time to time, before they depart.
A candidate already residing abroad must submit all…
A candidate already residing abroad must submit all relevant documents and sign the required agreements before the Indian Mission releases the scholarship.
Candidates cannot switch the course of study, research,…
Candidates cannot switch the course of study, research, or Institute for which the scholarship was sanctioned.
Obtaining the right visa for the country of…
Obtaining the right visa for the country of study is the candidate's own responsibility.
Any overpayment received via an Indian Mission abroad…
Any overpayment received via an Indian Mission abroad or another Government agency must be refunded to that Indian Mission.
Once the course ends, the awardee must upload…
Once the course ends, the awardee must upload the course completion details, along with a study summary, to the Alumni Module of the Ministry's National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) portal before booking their return tickets.
Criteria for preparation of Merit List:-
Every application received within the stipulated period is checked against the eligibility criteria.
A separate merit list is prepared for each field of study.
Eligible applications are then considered for the scholarship following this procedure:
Top priority goes to candidates already admitted to,…
Top priority goes to candidates already admitted to, and studying at, foreign Institutes/Universities ranked in the top 1,000 by the latest QS World Ranking, with the merit list based on that Institute ranking; where two or more candidates tie on QS ranking, merit is decided by their marks/grades in the qualifying examination for the higher studies applied for.
If this doesn't fill enough seats, the merit…
If this doesn't fill enough seats, the merit list draws next from candidates who already hold a preliminary letter/offer of admission from a top-1,000-ranked foreign Institute/University (per QS World Ranking) but haven't yet joined -- ranked the same way, by Institute ranking first and qualifying-exam marks/grades to break ties.
If seats remain unfilled after both these rounds,…
If seats remain unfilled after both these rounds, the Ministry's expert committee fills them via personal interviews with the remaining eligible candidates, giving preference to those who have cleared GRE/GMAT/TOEFL, etc.
Benefits Provided
National Overseas Scholarship For Scheduled Tribes (ST) Students provides the following benefits to eligible applicants:
Sl. No.
Scholarship ComponentDetails1.Annual Maintenance AllowanceSet at USD 15,400 ($ Fifteen thousand four hundred only) for the US, and £9,900 (Pound sterling Nine thousand nine hundred only) for the United Kingdom, across all course levels; other countries get the USD rate or its equivalent.2.Annual Contingency and Equipment AllowanceCovers books, essential apparatus, study tours, and thesis typing/binding, at $1,532 (US Dollars One thousand five hundred thirty-two only) for candidates in the US and £1,116 (Pounds sterling One thousand one hundred sixteen only) for those in the UK; other countries get the USD rate or its equivalent.3.Poll TaxPaid at actuals, wherever it applies.4.Visa FeesPaid at the actual visa fee in Indian Rupees.5.Incidental Journey ExpensesUp to US Dollars 20, or its INR equivalent, is allowed.6.FeesTuition fees and other compulsory, non-refundable fees needed to finish the course are paid at actuals.7.Medical Insurance PremiumPaid at actuals as charged, though the Indian Embassy/Mission in that country checks that the premium claimed is reasonable.8.Cost of Air PassageAn air passage grant, at actuals, covers travel from India to the nearest point to the educational institution and back, by economy class and the shortest, most cost-effective route.9.Local TravelCovers second-class railway fare between the port of disembarkation and the place of study and back; for places not connected by rail, bus fare from the residence to the nearest railway station, actual ferry crossing charges, and airfare to the nearest rail-cum-air station are all permissible.Note: Staying on beyond a course's prescribed duration comes with no financial assistance of any kind, apart from return air passage to India if the candidate chooses to come back once the course ends.
Documents Required
Applicants should keep the following documents ready before starting the application:
Required Documents:-
Profile/personal photo (image file only)
Profile/personal photo (image file only).
Date of birth certificate (10th mark sheet/certificate, PDF…
Date of birth certificate (10th mark sheet/certificate, PDF only).
Family income certificate (PDF only)
Family income certificate (PDF only).
Master's degree mark sheet, with the CGPA-to-percentage conversion…
Master's degree mark sheet, with the CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula, for Ph.D. or Post-Doctoral applicants (PDF only).
Ph.D
Ph.D. mark sheet, with the CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula, for Post-Doctoral applicants (PDF only).
Graduation mark sheet, with the CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula,…
Graduation mark sheet, with the CGPA-to-percentage conversion formula, for Master's applicants (PDF only).
ST certificate (PDF only)
ST certificate (PDF only).
PVTG certificate, for those belonging to a PVTG…
PVTG certificate, for those belonging to a PVTG (PDF only).
Copy of the latest tax assessment (ITR/Form-16) (PDF…
Copy of the latest tax assessment (ITR/Form-16) (PDF only).
Admission or offer letter (PDF only) Note:-
Admission or offer letter (PDF only) Note:-
All the above documents should sit in the…
All the above documents should sit in the applicant's Digi locker ID ( https://www.digilocker.gov.in/ ), either under issued documents or in the Digi locker Drive.
The income certificate need only be obtained once,…
The income certificate need only be obtained once, at the time of course admission, and it stays valid for the whole course duration.
The income certificate submitted at admission time should…
The income certificate submitted at admission time should be dated to that same year.
For salaried applicants, eligibility is based on the…
For salaried applicants, eligibility is based on the previous financial year's income -- e.g., a fresh application for academic year 2021-22 would need family income figures from financial year 2020-21.
How to Apply
Online Application
Applicants can apply for National Overseas Scholarship For Scheduled Tribes (ST) Students through the online application process outlined below.
A. Registration Process on Digilocker portal (Only for those candidates who doesn't have their Digilocker Account):-
Application Portal: Open Application Portal ↗
Go to
Go to: https://www.digilocker.gov.in/signup
Enter your Full Name, Date of Birth, Mobile…
Enter your Full Name, Date of Birth, Mobile Number, Email ID, and set a 6 digit security PIN.
Submit the OTP and enter your Aadhaar Number
Submit the OTP and enter your Aadhaar Number.
Log in to your newly created account
Log in to your newly created account.
Where a required document isn't listed under Issued…
Where a required document isn't listed under Issued documents, upload it yourself in the " Uploaded documents " section. B. Registration Process on National Overseas Portal:-
Go to
Go to: https://overseas.tribal.gov.in/StudentsRegistrationForm.aspx
Enter Full Name, Mobile Number, Date of Birth,…
Enter Full Name, Mobile Number, Date of Birth, E-mail Id, State, District, and set a Password.
Verify the captcha and click on " Register…
Verify the captcha and click on " Register " button.
Enter the received OTP on the next screen
Enter the received OTP on the next screen. Then the confirmation message as "Your registration completed successfully" will be shown. C. Filling up of Application Form process:-
Go to
Go to: https://overseas.tribal.gov.in/Login.aspx
Enter your email ID and password, and validate…
Enter your email ID and password, and validate the captcha code.
Once logged in, the application form will be…
Once logged in, the application form will be displayed for you to fill in the remaining information.
Fill in your complete personal information, education qualification,…
Fill in your complete personal information, education qualification, and other details as required in the application form.
To upload documents, you will be redirected to…
To upload documents, you will be redirected to the Digilocker window; sign in there and click on "allow" button to get the documents from the Digi-locker.
You will then get access to the "Issued…
You will then get access to the "Issued Documents" and "Uploaded documents" sections on the application form.
To "Retrieve issued document" click on " Retrieve"…
To "Retrieve issued document" click on " Retrieve" button.
Read the declaration part carefully and click on…
Read the declaration part carefully and click on "Submit" button for final submission of the Application. (Any information cannot be updated/edited, if application submitted successfully.) Note:
Documents should be in the applicant's Digilocker ID…
Documents should be in the applicant's Digilocker ID ( https://www.digilocker.gov.in/ ) either in issued documents section or in Digilocker Drive.
For further details, consult the Instruction Manual for…
For further details, consult the Instruction Manual for the Application Process at:- https://tribal.nic.in/downloads/faqs/Instruction-manual-NOS-2022-23.pdf
Exclusions / Who Is Not Eligible
**Note : 1**
Bachelor-level courses in any discipline are not covered under the scheme.
**Note : 2 : Cancellation of Award**
The award of the scholarship will be cancelled, and no financial support will be provided. Also, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs may recover the already paid award amount in case of any of the following:
1. The awardee has taken admission by submitting false documents or not conforming to the guidelines governing the Scheme.
1. The awardee returning to India without successfully completing the course for which he/she has been selected.
1. The student is involved in any illegal activity or antinational activity or misconduct or associated with use of narcotic substances or involved in violation of law of the host country or in the event of any police case against the candidate.
**Note:** **3**
If the failure to complete the course is due to ill-health, he would require to submit certificate of medical officer nominated by the Indian Mission abroad.
Official Application & Website
Verify the latest eligibility, dates and instructions before applying.