Advancement in Science and Technology is one crucial way to promote advancement in a country. For progressive development in the field of science, more students must pursue education in the same. To encourage students to study science, the Indian Government has launched INSPIRE scholarship or Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research. This initiative aims at financially supporting the students who wish to build careers in the science stream. To know all about this Central Government scheme, read the following article.
Table of Contents
What is Inspire scholarship?
INSPIRE or Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research is a program framed by the Central Government in India to support the dreams of students who wish to pursue careers in fields of science and technology. For students who have to deal with a shortage of money and eventually have to give up on their dreams, this scholarship will preserve their dreams. Moreover, this scheme also offers internships and awards to students who excel in this field. The INSPIRE scheme has three parts, firstly being recognition of talent, scholarships for further education, and lastly, research opportunities.
Inspire Scholarship 2023: Financial Incentives
Rs 80000 per annum will be received by Rs 5000 per month with a total value of Rs 60000 and a summer research project under an active researcher will be given a summer time attachment fee of Rs 20000 will be paid as mentorship every year.
This scheme was launched on 13 November 2008. The financial budget allotted to the scheme back then was 1979.25 crores. For the next 5 years from selection, the students receive constant financial assistance under this scheme. It assists all the students who wish to study science and also technology. Its three programs are:
- Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents or SEATS,
- Scholarship for Higher Education or SHE, and
- Assured Oportunity for Research Careers or AORC.
Key Highlights of Inspire scholarship
| Name | Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research |
| Abbreviation | INSPIRE |
| Department | Department of Science & Technology |
| Category | Central Government Scheme |
| Launched On | 13 November 2008 |
| Aim | To encourage students in fields of Science and Technology |
| Programs | SEATS, SHE, and AORC. |
| Beneficiaries | Students of science |
| Inspire 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 |
| Tenure | 5 years |
| Year | 2023 |
| Application mode | Online |
| Application Status | Active |
| Website | online-inspire.gov.in |
| Helpline | 0124-6690020,0124-6690021 |
Objective of Inspire scholarship
Education becomes difficult for students when they have no financial backup. For such students, the Indian Government constantly launches special programs. INSPIRE is just one of them. Science is a subject that results in the advancement of humankind. Backwardness in technology and similar streams can be very harmful to the development of a country, altogether. Hence, to identify the talents and provide them with the best educational facilities, the government started INSPIRE. The programs of this scheme will not only identify the potential in students but also nurture them. It will further provide them with the most wondrous opportunities to build careers in research fields.
Features of Inspire scholarship Scheme
The following are the features of the INSPIRE program:
- The INSPIRE program is specif for the feild of Science and Technology.
- It is divided into three parts that focus on different age groups and respective educational and career levels.
- The SEATS or Scheme for Early Attraction of Talents is the part of the program which is concerned about indentification of talent in age group of 10-15 years who study in classes VI-X. It provides summer camps for students who take interest in feild of science. Moreover, it encorages them by awarding the INSPIRE Award of Rs. 5,000 to one million young talented students.
- The SHE program or the Scholarship for Higher Education is for students who are deserving. Such 10,000 applicants of age group 17-22 will get Scholarship of Rs. 80,000 every year to support the higher education such as graduate and masters programs in Science or Technology. These scholarships will not only support the aspiring students but also encourage other students to pursue field of Science & Technology.
- The last stage of the INSPIRE program is the AORC programme or Assured Opportunity for Research Careers. This programme is further bifurcated into Fellowship and Faculty Award. The applicants of age group 27-32 years will get internship opportunities in the Research and Development departments in science and technologies. Thre young talents will get great exposure by being able to work for the Indian Government suggested projects and further get encouraged. 1000 Fellowships and 1000 Internship opportunities will be given to students pursuing doctorates.
- The INSPIRE does not conduct personal exams to allow the students to be a part of it.
Subjects Offered Under Inspire scholarship
The following Subjects will be covered under the INSPIRE scheme:
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
- Anthropology
- Atmospheric science
- Biochemistry
- Biology
- Biophysics
- Botany
- Chemistry
- Electronics
- Ecology
- Geophysics
- Geology
- Geochemistry
- Genetics
- Marine biology
- Mathematics
- Microbiology
- Oceanic science
- Physics
- Statistics
- Zoology
SHE – Scholarship for higher education
The Scholarship for Higher Education is the Scholarship program offered under the INSPIRE scheme of Central Government. According to this scheme, the students who wish to pursue higher education in fields of Science and Technology, like the Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses can apply to receive annual benefits of Rs. 80,000. The age group specified for this program is 17-22. 12,000 Students will be receiving the scholarship amounts under this scholarship. Additionally, mentorship will also be provided to these students to ensure better deliverance of education. The Mentors will not only solve their educational issues but also guide them to the best-suited careers in Basic and Natural Science. These students can be further awarded fellowships and opportunities as per AORC part of INSPIRE.
Subjects
The Bachelor’s or Masters’s in the following subjects will be covered under the Inspire scholarship scheme. The maximum period for which the students can avail the benefit of the yearly scholarship amount of Rs. 80,000 is 5 years. No student can apply for the scholarship benefits for more than 5 years.
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Statistics
- Geology
- Botany
- Zoology
- Bio- chemistry
- Microbiology
- Astrophysics
- Astronomy
- Electronics
- Anthropology
- Geophysics
- Geochemistry
- Atmospheric Sciences
- Oceanic Sciences.
Apart from the subjects, Engineering, Medicine, Military Science, Defense Studies, Agriculture, Psychology, Seed Technology, Anthropology, Home Science, Geography, Economics, Education (including B.Sc.-B.Ed. and dual degree courses), Biotechnology, Computer Science, Computer Applications, Bio-informatics, Instrumentation, Information Technology, Physical Education, courses in Distance Education mode at the Open Universities and other professional courses are excluded from the INSPIRE scholarship scheme.
Scholarships in India
- Aikyashree Scholarship
- NSP Scholarship
- AICTE PG Scholarship
- Digital Gujarat Scholarship
- Pragati Scholarship
- SSP Scholarship Karnataka
- Swami Vivekananda Scholarship
- Kerala Scholarship
- UP Scholarship Status
- West Bengal OASIS Scholarship
- Jharkhand E Kalyan Scholarship
- Jnanabhumi Scholarship
Eligibilty Criteria to apply for Inspire scholarship
The following Eligibility Criteria will be considered by the Department of Science and Technology or DST while selecting the beneficiaries for this program:
- Student must be a citizen of India.
- The student should have scored good marks that award them position in top 1% of the Class XII result.
- The student must be willing to pursue courses in Natural and Basic Sciences.
- Students who have secured rank in top 10,000 in exams like JEE.
- Those who are willing to pursue integrated courses are also eligible.
- Students selected for Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) programme are also eligible.
- National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) scholars, International Olympiad medalists and Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) scholars pursuing UG or PG courtses are also eligible.
Documents Required
The students must have the following documents for applying for the INSPIRE scholarship:
- Passport Sized Photograph
- Digital or Scanned Signature
- Aadhar Card
- Caste Certificate, if applicable
- Mark sheet of Class XII result
- For Birth certificate, Class X Mark Sheet
- Endorsement Certificate is a compulsory document. It must be as per the given format and signed by the Principal of the College or the Director of the Institute or Registrar of the University
- If the state or Central Board provides an Eligibility Note or Advisory Note, attest one.
- Certificate specifying Rank or Award in JEE Main or Advanced or NEET or KVPY or JBNSTS or NTSE or International Olympic Medalists. If the student has not attempted any of these exams, they do not have to mandatorily attach any such document.
- Photocopy of the bank passbook
If the application is incomplete, it will be rejected. The students are advised to carefully fill out the applications.
Application Procedure of Inspire scholarship Online
To apply for the scholarship under the INSPIRE program, follow the subsequent steps:
Registration
The users will first have to register themselves on the INSPIRE portal. Once they are successfully registered, they can sign in and apply for any part of the program, including the scholarship. To register, observe the following steps:
- Open the official web portal of the INSPIRE scholarships at online-inspire.gov.in.
- On the homepage, click on “New User” given below the Sign In form.
- In the registration form, fill out all the details marked with “*”. These are mandatory. The form will not b e submitted with incomplete details.
- Select the eligibilty criteria.
- Create a password of minimum 8 characters and maximum 20. The password must contain at least one upper case, one lowercase, one numeric and one special character.
- Read the captcha code and enter the correct code in box given below.
- Press “Submit”.
- An activation link will be generated on the mentioned email account. Use the link to activate the account.
Sign In
The users can apply for a scholarship in the dashboard. For that, they will have to sign in. Once the account is activated, follow these steps to sign in to the portal:
- Open the homepage of the INSPIRE portal.
- In the “Sign In” box, enter the login credentials created at the tiime of registration.
- Enter the captcha code given in the box.
- Press “Sign In”.
Reset Password
To reset the password, the users need to click on the “Reset Password” option given under the “Sign In” box. They need to enter the email ID for their account. A recovery email will be generated and the users will have to log in to set a new password using the link.
Rest Login ID
To reset the email or login ID, the users need to click on “Reset Login ID”. A reset form will open up and the users will have to fill in all the required information. A registered mobile number will have to provide for setting up a new email Id. Once the mobile number is verified, the request to change the email ID will be processed.
Update Profile
After Signing in, update the profile to move forward with the application. Click on the “Update Profile” option in the dashboard. A form will appear. Fill in all the mandatory details in the form and submit.
Inspire Scholarship Scheme Online Apply
On the dashboard page, click on the “Scholarship”. In the form, fill in all the mandatory details including the bank account details. The money will be transferred to the same account. Finally, attest all the important and applicable documents. Review the application before submission since the application will be immediately rejected if it is incomplete. Submit the application.
Once the registration is over, the procedure takes up months since the department receives a ton of applications. The application form and details are verified and then the money is transferred. Direct Bank Transfer or DBT is used for the disbursement of scholarship money. If the students are selected for the SHE scholarship, they will receive an offer letter in their dashboard. Additionally, a list of beneficiaries will also be available on the INSPIRE website.
Bank Account
The scholarship funds are only sent to SBI or State Bank of India bank accounts. Students who wish to avail themselves of the benefits of the SHE must open an independent SB I account. The authorities will reject a joint account.
Inspire scholarship helpline number
The students can call at 0124-6690020 or 0124-6690021 to reach the INSPIRE helpdesk.
The following address information has also been provided on the portal for students to contact:
INSPIRE Programme Division
Department of Science and Technology,
Technology Bhavan, New Mehrauli Road,
New Delhi – 110 016.
Additionally, the students can also send an email to inspire.prog-dst@nic.in in order to address their problems. They need to label the email with respective abbreviations in the “subject” part of the mail:
- INTERNSHIP : Internship program
- SHE : Scholarship for Higher Education program
- FELLOWSHIP : Fellowship program
- FACULTY : Faculty program
- GENERAL : Any General query about INSPIRE program