Every year, thousands of Indian students dream of pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. abroad, but for many, the biggest concern isn’t getting admission—it’s managing the cost of studying overseas. The good news is that several government-funded scholarships can significantly reduce this financial burden by covering tuition fees, living expenses, travel costs, and other essential study-related expenses.

However, finding accurate information isn’t as easy as it seems. Search for government scholarships for studying abroad, and you’ll come across countless blogs repeating the same outdated lists. Some scholarships mentioned online have already been discontinued, while others are meant for international students coming to India—not Indian students planning to study overseas.

That’s why we’ve created this comprehensive guide. At Sanvi Overseas, we rely on official government sources and the latest eligibility updates—not recycled information. As a study abroad and immigration consultancy based in Ahmedabad, we’ve helped many students avoid common mistakes and identify scholarship opportunities that genuinely match their academic profile and career goals. In this guide, you’ll find the most relevant government scholarships available for Indian students in 2026, along with eligibility requirements, benefits, and application insights to help you plan your study abroad journey with confidence.

Quick Answer: The National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) remains the primary active Indian government grant for SC/ST/DNT/Landless Agricultural Labourer students pursuing a master’s or PhD abroad, with an ₹8 lakh income limit and roughly 125 scholarships awarded annually (a parliamentary panel has recommended raising this to 250). Padho Pardesh, an interest-subsidy scheme for minority students, was discontinued from 2022-23 — if you’ve seen it listed as active, that information is wrong. Beyond Indian government schemes, several foreign government scholarships (Chevening, Fulbright-Nehru, DAAD, Australia Awards) remain genuinely open to Indian applicants.

Two Schemes You’ll See Listed That No Longer Exist

Before the real list, this needs to be said plainly, because outdated listicles are actively costing students time on two separate fronts:

Padho Pardesh — an interest subsidy on education loans for minority community students studying abroad — was officially discontinued by the Ministry of Minority Affairs starting the 2022-23 academic year. The ministry’s own stated reasons were scheme overlap with other programs and the availability of education loans at lower interest rates through standard channels. Despite this, at least one site we reviewed actively markets it as a live “2026” scheme offering interest subsidy on loans up to ₹20 lakh.

Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship — a fully funded, one-year (extendable to two) research fellowship that placed one Indian scholar annually as a Junior Research Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford, for research in Modern Indian Studies (History, Economics, or Political Science) — has also been discontinued. It used to be applied for through the government’s Sakshat portal and covered tuition, travel, and a stipend including college dining costs. Several scholarship-listing sites still carry detailed eligibility and benefit tables for it as though it were open.

If you’ve been planning around either of these, stop and check your current options with us before you proceed — building a financing or research plan around a discontinued scheme could leave you short right when you need funds most.

Indian Government Schemes That Are Actually Active

1. National Overseas Scholarship (NOS)

What it actually is: A direct grant — not a loan — covering tuition, maintenance allowance, and airfare for eligible students pursuing a master’s or PhD abroad. Unlike a loan-based scheme, you don’t repay this.

Who’s eligible:

Must belong to Scheduled Castes (SC), Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (DNT), Landless Agricultural Labourers, or Traditional Artisans — a valid caste/category certificate is mandatory
Master’s applicants: below 35 years as of April 1 of the application year; minimum 60% marks (or equivalent) in the qualifying Bachelor’s degree
PhD applicants: below 40 years as of April 1; minimum 60% marks in the qualifying Master’s degree
Bachelor’s degree courses are not covered under this scheme — it’s master’s and PhD only
Total annual family income from all sources must not exceed ₹8,00,000 (this limit was raised from an earlier ₹6 lakh threshold)
30% of seats reserved for female candidates

How many scholarships are actually awarded: Currently around 125 per year, with the large majority allocated to SC candidates. A parliamentary committee has recommended raising this to 250 slots for 2026-27, citing the low proportion of scholarships relative to the eligible population — worth watching, since if implemented, this would meaningfully improve your odds.

Application timing: Registration has historically closed around March 31 each cycle — check the current NOS portal deadline with us before you assume this year’s window matches last year’s dates.

2. Dr. Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme of Interest Subsidy (OBC & EBC Students)

This is a real, active, and frequently overlooked scheme — confirmed directly on the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment’s own site (socialjustice.gov.in) and the government’s MyScheme portal, not just aggregator content.

What it does: Provides 100% interest subsidy on education loans for OBC and EBC students pursuing Master’s, M.Phil, or PhD programs abroad, covering the moratorium period — course duration plus one year, or six months after securing employment, whichever comes first. The principal loan amount itself is not waived; you repay that as normal once the moratorium ends.

Who’s eligible:

OBC candidates: must hold a valid OBC certificate and fall within the non-creamy layer income criteria (the standard central OBC non-creamy layer threshold applies — confirm the current exact figure with us, since this is revised periodically by the government)
EBC candidates: family income must not exceed ₹2,50,000 annually
Loan must be taken from a scheduled bank under the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) education loan model
Admission confirmed in an eligible Master’s, M.Phil, or PhD program abroad
A share of funds is earmarked for female candidates (cited figures vary between sources — confirm the current allocation with us)

Loan cap for subsidy purposes: Up to ₹20,00,000.

How to apply: Through your scheduled bank at the time of taking your education loan, following the IBA model — the bank coordinates with the nodal bank appointed under the Ministry’s MoU to process the subsidy claim.

3. Raman-Charpak Fellowship (India-France)

Worth including with an important caveat most listicles skip entirely: this is not a full-degree scholarship. Jointly administered by India’s Department of Science and Technology and the Indo-French Centre for Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA), it funds a short research stay — 2 to 6 months — in France for Indian PhD students, as part of an ongoing doctoral program, not a standalone master’s or full PhD abroad.

Who’s eligible: Based on the current cycle’s own FAQ, this is restricted to Indian PhD students in their 2nd or 3rd year — Master’s students are not eligible under the current cycle, despite some older, general descriptions suggesting otherwise. Confirmed host-institute supervisor approval in France is mandatory before applying.

Benefit: A monthly fellowship stipend for Indian fellows, cited between approximately €1,500-1,710/month depending on the source — confirm the current exact figure with us — covering daily expenses, local travel, accommodation, and social security charges, plus travel costs.

Eligible fields: Atmospheric, Earth, and Environmental Sciences; Materials Science; Physical and Chemical Sciences; Engineering; Biological, Life, and Medical Sciences; Mathematical and Computational Sciences; Agricultural Sciences.

Complete Comparison Table: Real, Currently Active Schemes

Scheme	Type	Who It’s For	Level	Key Benefit
National Overseas Scholarship (NOS)	Direct grant	SC/ST/DNT/Landless Agricultural Labourers/Traditional Artisans	Master’s, PhD only	Tuition, maintenance, airfare — ₹8 lakh income limit
Dr. Ambedkar Central Sector Scheme	Interest subsidy on existing loan	OBC (non-creamy layer) / EBC	Master’s, M.Phil, PhD	100% interest subsidy up to ₹20 lakh loan
Raman-Charpak Fellowship	Short research fellowship (not a degree)	PhD students, 2nd/3rd year, STEM fields	Part of ongoing PhD, 2-6 months in France	Monthly stipend + travel, via DST/CEFIPRA
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP)	Foreign (UK) government scholarship	Indian citizens (Commonwealth-wide eligibility)	Master’s, PhD	Tuition, stipend, travel — UK-funded, not Indian government
Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships	Bilateral (India-US) fellowship	Indian citizens, non-government-employees	Master’s, PhD, postdoctoral	Tuition, airfare, living costs, health insurance
Chevening Scholarships	Foreign (UK) government scholarship	Indian citizens with leadership experience	Master’s (1 year)	Full funding, UK-funded
DAAD Scholarships	Foreign (Germany) government scholarship	Indian citizens	Master’s, PhD	Full funding, Germany-funded
Australia Awards	Foreign (Australia) government scholarship	Indian citizens	Postgraduate	Tuition + living costs, Australia-funded

Discontinued — do not plan around these: Padho Pardesh (minority interest subsidy) and Ms. Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship (Oxford research fellowship).

State Government Schemes (Beyond the National Level)

If you’re based in Gujarat specifically, note that state-level support exists separately from these national schemes — we’ve broken down Gujarat’s own study abroad loan schemes in a dedicated guide, since Gujarat runs its own Interest Subsidy Scheme (open to all categories, including general) and a separate SC/ST/SEBC/EBC-specific loan scheme through e-Samaj Kalyan — genuinely different from anything at the national level, and worth checking regardless of whether you qualify for NOS.

A Scheme Often Listed Here That Doesn’t Actually Belong

ICCR Scholarships appear on almost every “government scholarships to study abroad” list we reviewed — but this is a direction error. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship programs fund foreign nationals to study in India, not Indian students to study abroad. If you’re an Indian student, this scheme isn’t relevant to your search at all, regardless of how often it appears on other lists. We’re flagging this explicitly because repeating someone else’s mistake is worse than leaving a gap.

Foreign Government Scholarships Genuinely Open to Indian Students

Beyond what the Indian government itself funds, several destination-country governments run scholarship programs specifically open to Indian applicants. These aren’t Indian government schemes, but they answer the same underlying question most people searching this topic actually have.

1. Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships (India-US, via USIEF)

A bilateral program between the Indian and US governments, administered by the United States-India Educational Foundation. Covers tuition, airfare, living expenses, and health insurance for master’s, PhD, and postdoctoral study in the US, across a defined list of eligible fields (public administration, public health, journalism, environmental studies, and others — not every academic field qualifies). Important restriction: employees of the Government of India or state governments — including IAS, IPS, IRS, and allied civil services — are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category, and applicants may apply to only one Fulbright-Nehru category per competition cycle.

2. Chevening Scholarships (UK Government)

Fully funded one-year master’s scholarships in the UK, covering tuition, a living stipend, and travel costs, open to Indian citizens with leadership potential and typically at least two years of work experience.

3. DAAD Scholarships (Germany)

Germany’s national academic exchange service funds master’s and PhD study for international students, including Indians, across a wide range of fields — a natural complement if you’re also exploring Germany’s EU Blue Card route after graduation. (See our Germany PR & EU Blue Card guide if settling in Germany post-study is part of your longer-term plan.)

4. Australia Awards

The Australian government’s scholarship program for students from partner countries, including India, covering tuition and living costs for postgraduate study at Australian institutions.

5. Commonwealth Scholarships (UK)

Available to citizens of Commonwealth countries, including India, for master’s and PhD study in the UK, with a particular focus on development-relevant fields.

Check with us: Foreign government scholarship eligibility criteria, field restrictions, and deadlines change by cycle and are set by each respective government — not the Indian government. Confirm the current cycle’s specific requirements with us before you invest time in an application, since acceptance windows for these can be narrow and easy to miss.

How to Actually Decide Which of These to Pursue

If you belong to SC/ST/DNT/Landless Agricultural Labourer categories and are pursuing a master’s or PhD: NOS should be your starting point — it’s a direct grant, not a loan.
If you’re general category or don’t qualify for NOS: foreign government scholarships (Chevening, DAAD, Fulbright-Nehru, Australia Awards, Commonwealth) remain genuinely open to you, alongside exploring national and state-specific loan-based support if you’re Gujarat-based.
If you’re a minority community student who was planning around Padho Pardesh: that plan needs to change — check with us about current alternatives.
If you’re still choosing a country or course: none of this matters yet until that’s settled — our complete Study Abroad guide walks through that decision first.

Common Mistakes Applicants Make With Government Scholarships

Applying based on an outdated scheme list — as this guide shows, at least one commonly cited scheme no longer exists, and eligibility figures (like NOS’s income limit) have changed in recent cycles.
Confusing ICCR (foreign students coming to India) with schemes that actually fund Indians going abroad.
Assuming a foreign government scholarship works like an Indian government one — eligibility, field restrictions, and application cycles are set independently by each government and don’t follow the same calendar or rules.
Missing the Bachelor’s-level exclusion on NOS — students planning undergraduate study abroad sometimes assume NOS applies to them; it doesn’t, since NOS is strictly master’s and PhD level.
Not checking current income limits before assuming ineligibility — NOS’s threshold has moved in recent cycles, so a family that didn’t qualify a few years ago may now.

How Sanvi Overseas Can Help

Scholarship eligibility, discontinued schemes, and shifting income thresholds are exactly the kind of details that go stale fastest — and get applicants into real trouble when they plan around outdated information. Sanvi Overseas, based in Ahmedabad, can walk through your specific category, course level, and destination country to confirm which of these schemes (Indian government, state-level, or foreign government) genuinely applies to you right now, not what applied last cycle.

Book a Free Consultation with Sanvi Overseas →

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Padho Pardesh still active in 2026?

No. The Ministry of Minority Affairs officially discontinued the Padho Pardesh scheme starting the 2022-23 academic year. If you’ve seen it listed as an active 2026 scheme elsewhere, that information is outdated — check your options with us instead.

2. Does ICCR fund Indian students to study abroad?

No. ICCR scholarships fund foreign nationals to study in India, not Indian students studying abroad. This is a common error on other “government scholarships to study abroad” lists.

3. What is the income limit for the National Overseas Scholarship?

The current limit is ₹8,00,000 in total annual family income from all sources, raised from an earlier ₹6 lakh threshold. Given how often this figure has moved, confirm the current limit with us before assuming your family’s income qualifies.

4. Can I get NOS for an undergraduate degree abroad?

No. NOS covers master’s and PhD level study only — undergraduate courses are not eligible under this scheme.

5. How many National Overseas Scholarships are awarded each year?

Currently around 125 annually, with the majority allocated to SC candidates. A parliamentary committee has recommended raising this to 250 for 2026-27 — worth checking with us on whether this has been implemented for your application cycle.

6. Are foreign government scholarships like Chevening or DAAD considered “government scholarships” for Indian students?

Yes, in the sense that they’re funded and administered by the respective destination country’s government (UK and Germany respectively) and remain genuinely open to Indian applicants — they’re just not Indian government schemes, so their rules, deadlines, and eligibility are set independently.

7. Can government employees apply for Fulbright-Nehru fellowships?

No. Employees of the Government of India or state governments, including IAS, IPS, IRS, and allied civil services, are not eligible for any Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category.

8. Does Sanvi Overseas guarantee I’ll receive a government scholarship?

No — and be cautious of anyone who claims otherwise. Selection for any of these schemes is made solely by the respective granting body based on merit, eligibility, and available slots. What we can offer is accurate, current guidance on which schemes genuinely apply to your situation, and support with your application and documentation.

Key Takeaways

Padho Pardesh is discontinued — remove it from your planning if you’ve been counting on it
ICCR scholarships don’t apply to Indian students going abroad — they fund the opposite direction
NOS remains the primary active Indian government grant for eligible SC/ST/DNT/Landless Agricultural Labourer students, currently at an ₹8 lakh income limit, with a proposed increase in available slots for 2026-27
NOS is master’s/PhD only — not available for undergraduate study
Foreign government scholarships (Chevening, DAAD, Fulbright-Nehru, Australia Awards, Commonwealth) remain genuinely open to Indian applicants, independent of Indian government eligibility
If you’re Gujarat-based, state-level loan schemes exist separately and are worth checking regardless of your NOS eligibility

Not sure which of these actually applies to your situation? Check Your Eligibility With Sanvi Overseas →

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Top Government Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Abroad