Ministry of Tribal Affairs Scholarship Scheme

A scholarship scheme by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for regular, full-time students from Scheduled Tribes, to obtain higher education (post-graduate courses viz. Masters, Ph.D., and Post-Doctoral Research) from foreign institutes/universities. The Scheme is implemented through the Indian Embassies/Missions abroad, Ministry of External Affairs. 30% of the scholarship awards are earmarked for female candidates. Bachelor-level courses in any discipline are not covered under the scheme. Financial assistance is provided till completion of the course/research or the prescribed duration of the course, whichever is earlier.

Selection is based on Interview based merit list prepared by An Expert Committee. The Scholarship comprises of tuition fee, monthly Maintenance allowance of USD 1283, Contingency Charges of USD 1532 per year, Poll Tax, Visa Fee, Medical Insurance, Cost of Air journey (return trip), Incidental Journey expenses. The fields of study covered in this scheme are

Fields of Study

• Pure/Applied Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics (STEM)
• Management, Economics, Finance, Law
• Agriculture, Medicine
• Humanities, Social Science, Fine Arts

Number of Awards

• Total: 20 scholarships per year
  • ST Candidates: 17
  • Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG): 3

Subjects and Slots covered under the Scheme:

The subjects/disciplines in which student can opt for studies abroad and the number of slots available under each field for grant of award are listed below:

Financial Assistance Duration

• Post-Doctoral Research: Up to 2 years
• Ph.D.: Up to 4 years
• Master’s Degree: 1 or 2 years, based on course duration

Scholarship Benefits

• Annual Maintenance Allowance: $15,400 (US) or £9,900 (UK)
• Contingency Allowance: $1,532 (US) or £1,116 (UK)
• Poll Tax: As per actuals
• Visa Fees: As per actuals in Indian Rupees
• Journey Expenses: Up to $20
• Tuition Fees: As per actuals
• Medical Insurance: As per actuals
• Air Passage: Economy class from India to the study destination and back
• Local Travel: Second-class railway fare or equivalent

Eligibility

• Scheduled Tribe (ST) student
• Pursuing a post-graduate course abroad (Masters, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Research)
• Annual family income ≤ ₹6,00,000
• Minimum 55% marks in the qualifying exam
• Only one applicant per family can avail of this scholarship

Age Limits

• Post-Doctoral Research: ≤ 38 years
• Ph.D.: ≤ 35 years
• Masters: ≤ 32 years

Application Process

A. Registration Process on Digilocker Portal (For those without an account):

1. Visit: Digilocker Signup
2. Enter your Full Name, Date of Birth, Mobile Number, Email ID, and set a 6-digit security PIN.
3. Submit the OTP and enter your Aadhaar Number.
4. Log in to your account.
5. If any related document is not under Issued documents, upload all the required documents in the “Uploaded documents” section.

B. Registration Process on National Overseas Portal:

1. Visit: National Overseas Portal
2. Enter Full Name, Mobile Number, Date of Birth, E-mail Id, State, District, and set a Password.
3. Verify the captcha and click on the “Register” button.
4. Enter the received OTP. A confirmation message will be shown.

C. Filling up of Application Form process:

1. Visit: Login
2. Enter email ID, password, and validate the captcha code.
3. After successful login, the application form will be displayed to fill in remaining information.
4. Fill in personal information, education qualification, and other details as required.
5. For Documents upload, you will be redirected to the Digilocker window. Sign in and click on “allow” to get the documents from Digi-locker.
6. Access the section of “Issued Documents” and “Uploaded documents” on the application form.
7. To “Retrieve issued document” click on "Retrieve" button.
8. Read the declaration part carefully and click on “Submit” for final submission of the application.

Documents Required

• Profile/Personal Photo (Image file only).
• Date of Birth (D.O.B) Certificate (10th Marksheet/ Certificate in PDF only).
• Family Income Certificate (PDF only).
• Master Degree (Marksheet) and Conversion factor formulae from CGPA to equivalent percent of marks (if applying for Ph.D. or Post-Doctoral Research) (PDF only).
• Ph.D (Marksheet) and Conversion factor formulae from CGPA to equivalent percent of marks (if applying for Post-Doctoral Research) (PDF only).
• Graduation (Marksheet) and Conversion factor formulae from CGPA to equivalent percent of marks (if applying for Master Degree) (PDF only).
• ST Certificate (PDF only).
• PVTG Certificate (If belongs to PVTG) (PDF only).
• Copy of latest Tax-Assessment (ITR/ Form-16) (PDF only).
• Admission or Offer Letter (PDF only)

Note:

• The above documents should be in the applicant’s Digilocker ID either in the issued documents section or in Digilocker Drive.
• Income certificate is required only at the time of admission and is valid for the entire duration of the course.
• The income certificate should be from the same year as the admission.
• For salaried employees, the income of the previous financial year is considered. For example, for the academic year 2021-22, the family income for the financial year 2020-21 would be required.