PM's special scholarship scheme soon for IIT and IISc grads

The Centre will soon roll out a special scholarship scheme for the students of all 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, to enable them to undertake innovative research projects in the field of science and technology.

Under the proposed Prime Minister's special research scholarship scheme, the final year undergraduate students of these premier science and technology institutes will also get direct admission to the PhD programmes offered by them.

The Students to be enrolled in PhD programmes under the scheme will get a scholarship of Rs 70,000 per month for a period of five years.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has sent the proposal to the Union Cabinet for its approval, proposing to offer scholarship under the scheme to at least 2000 students of the IITs and IISc every year.

“The proposal has been cleared by the expenditure finance committee. We are hoping to see that it gets the Cabinet's approval soon,” the official sources told DH.

The graduates from the IITs and IISc will have to undergo “a rigorous selection process” to avail the benefits of the Prime Minister's special scholarship scheme.

Science and Engineering graduates with a minimum eight cumulative grade point average (CGPA) or those figuring among the top 20 percentile holders will be eligible to apply for the scholarship and direct admission to the PhD programmes at the IITs and IISc under the scheme.

Once enrolled under the scheme, a student can only drop out from their PhD programme before completion by returning the amount of scholarship availed by him.

"The scheme aims at checking the brain drain from India by giving meritorious students adequate financial support and facilities for undertaking innovative research projects India," sources said.

For a selection of candidates, best of the 23 IITs and the IISc will be designated as the national coordinating institutes on the basis of the strength of their departments in various streams of science and technology.
While applying for the scholarship, the students will have to submit their proposal for research in the area of their choice.

“Work is on to launch a special web portal for submission of the research proposals by the students under the scheme,” official sources said.

The concerned national coordinating Institute will evaluate the student's proposals picking them from the web portal.

“Students with most original and innovative research proposals will then be called for an interview to determine their candidature. A final list of the students for award of the scholarship will then be prepared and announced,” sources added.

The HRD Ministry had last year proposed to offer Rs 60,000 per month scholarship for a period of five years to a total of 1000 students of the IITs under the scheme.