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Scholarships
for Foreign students in India
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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA SCHOLARSHIPS
for Foreign Students
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Cultural
Exchange Programme
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General
Cultural Scholarship Scheme
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Apasaheb
Pant Scholarship Scheme
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Commonwealth Fellowships
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Technical
Cooperation Scheme (TCS) of the Colombo
Plan
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Reciprocal
Scholarship Scheme
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Scholarship Scheme for Sri Lanka and
Mauritius
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SAARC
Scholarship Scheme
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ICCR
Scholarship Scheme
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Cultural
Exchange Programme |
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Every year
scholarships are offered to international
students according to the terms and
conditions of the Cultural Exchange
Programme signed between the Government of
India and the Government of the respective
country for studying, training and research
in various fields. At present India has
Cultural Exchange Programmes with the
following countries:
Australia, Algeria, Argentina, Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Belgium, Bahrain,
Colombia, Cyprus, China, Czech, Ethiopia,
Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece,
Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait,
Kyrghyzstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, Maldives,
Mauritius, Malaysia, Mexico, Mali,
Netherlands, Nigeria, North Korea, Norway,
Pakistan, Philippines, Portugal, Poland,
Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Slovakia, Spain,
Sweden, South Korea, Senegal, Sudan, Syria,
Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia,
Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Arab
Emirates (UAE), United Arab Republic
(Egypt), Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire,
Zimbabwe. |
General
Cultural Scholarship Scheme |
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Scholarships
are awarded under this scheme (GCSS)
annually to international students belonging
to certain Asian, African and Latin American
countries for the undergraduate,
postgraduate degrees and for pursuing
research at Indian universities. However,
scholarships for medical studies for MBBS,
BDS or for medical research leading to a
Ph.D. degree are not offered under the GCSS
scheme. A list of countries covered under
the GCSS is given below:
Afghanistan, Barbados, Botswana, Cambodia,
Cameroon, Djibuti, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia,
Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Laos, Lesotho,
Maldives, Mauritius, Myanmar, Malawi,
Namibia, Nepal, Palestine, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa,
Republic of Ireland, Sri Lanka, Syria,
Seychelles, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand,
Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Uzbekistan, UAE,
Vietnam, Yemen, Zaire, Zambia. Zimbabwe. |
Apasaheb
Pant Scholarship Scheme |
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Under this
scheme one scholarship is offered to a
Kenyan national to pursue studies at the
postgraduate level, preferably in the field
of Economics or International Relations at
Jawaharlal Nehru University. Apart from the
usual dues, economy class air-fare is also
provided |
Commonwealth Fellowships |
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Scholarships
and fellowships are offered annually under
this scheme to candidates from Commonwealth
countries mainly for postgraduate studies,
though a few awards may be made available
for undergraduate studies in those
disciplines for which adequate facilities
may not exist in the applicants' country.
Short duration scholarships are also
available under this scheme for scholars
wishing to collect material for conducting
research projects back home. |
Technical
Cooperation Scheme (TCS) of the Colombo Plan |
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Under the TCS
of the Colombo Plan, scholarships are
awarded to the candidates of the following
countries:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Papua New
Guinea, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand.
According to the scheme, scholarships are
offered for undergraduate, postgraduate and
research towards a Ph.D. degree. At the
undergraduate level a few scholarships are
also available for engineering degrees or
diploma courses.
The scholarships in this scheme are of two
categories,
Category I: This category is for
training of officers coming for short or
medium-term courses.
Category II: This is meant for
students, trainees, undergraduates and
postgraduates coming for short, medium or
long-term courses.
The duration of courses is as follows:
One year or less
Up to two years
More than two years |
Reciprocal
Scholarship Scheme |
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Candidates
wishing to do postgraduate study or research
in any subject for which facilities exist in
India, may apply for a scholarship under
this scheme. Applicants wanting to study or
wishing to specialise in Indian Classical
Music, Indian Classical Dance, Painting,
Sculpture, Drama and Indian Languages may
also be considered for admission at the
undergraduate level. For undergraduate
courses, international students may join any
university or a recognised institution An
international student wishing to study
Indian languages, should join a university
or institution as a regular student.
Scholarships under this scheme are available
to candidates from the following countries:
Austria, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Denmark,
Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru,
Switzerland, Surinam, Uruguay. |
Scholarship
Scheme for Sri Lanka and Mauritius |
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Under this
scheme 77 scholarships are offered annually,
47 for Sri Lanka and 30 for Mauritius. These
scholarships are for pursuing studies
towards undergraduate, postgraduate degrees
and for pursuing research towards
fulfillment of a Ph.D. degree. Nationals of
Sri Lanka can also study specialised
subjects such as Agriculture, Engineering
and Pharmacy under this scheme |
SAARC
Scholarship Scheme |
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To
promote interaction among students,
scholars, academicians from SAARC countries,
the Government of India has introduced the
SAARC Fellowship and Scholarship Scheme. Six
fellowships and twelve scholarships are
offered annually to the nationals of member
countries viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Therefore,
one fellowship and two scholarships are
offered to nationals of each member country.
Fellowships and scholarships are offered for
studies in areas of Economics, Education,
Environment, Agriculture, Mass
Communication, Language and Literature,
Sociology, Transport Engineering, Applied
Economics, Master of Business Administration
Programme, Biochemistry, Social Work, Food
Technology and Home Science.
In addition. one Chair is also awarded to a
member country on rotation basis. Only such
courses for which no adequate facilities
exist in the member countries, are offered
for study by the Government of India. The
financial terms and conditions are finalised
by the SAARC secretariat. |
ICCR
Scholarship Scheme |
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Scholarships under the ICCR scheme are
offered annually for undergraduate and
postgraduate programmes in Performing as
well as Visual Arts. Subjects include Indian
Classical Music, Dance, Painting and
Sculpture. Facilities for doing research
work in these fields are also available.
Candidates from any country can apply |
Terms and
Conditions of Various Schemes
Under its scholarship schemes, ICCR offers
the following facilities to scholars:
Living Allowance:
Undergraduate/ Postgraduate Rs. 2,000/- per
month
M.Phil/Ph.D./MD/MS/M.Tech/ME Rs. 2,800/- per
month
Post-doctoral studies Rs. 3,500/- per month
Contingent Grant:
Undergraduate/ Postgraduate Rs. 4,500/- per
annum
M. Phil Ph.D. in humanities Rs. 7,500/- per
annum
M. Phil/ Ph.D. courses in sciences,
technology MD/MS/M.Tech /ME Rs. l0,000/- per
annum
Post-doctoral studies Rs. 10,000/- per annum
Post-doctoral studies in Science,
Engineering, Technology, Medicine Rs.
12,500/- per annum
Tuition Fees:
ICCR pays all compulsory tuition fees
charged by the universities institutions.
Thesis and
dissertation charges:
Thesis and dissertation charges are fully
reimbursed; if the expenditure is not beyond
Rs. 1,000/-. Expenses above this limit are
reimbursed to the extent of 50%.
Medical
Benefits:
ICCR pays for expenditure incurred by the
scholar for medicines bought on the advice
of the medical officer of the institution/
university. ICCR reimburses expenses except
on tonics, surgical appliances, artificial
aids, spectacles and similar articles.
Claims for reimbursement should be supported
by cash vouchers. Treatment requiring
hospitalisation, should be referred to
Government hospitals. However, cases
requiring immediate and special treatment
can be referred to private practitioners at
the discretion of the head of the
institution or the medical officer of the
institution.
Study Tour
Expenses:
General Cultural Scholarship Scheme, ICCR
Scholarship Scheme and Scheme for Nationals
of Bangladesh, Mauritius & Sri Lanka
An amount of Rs. 2,000/- per annum plus
first class train fare is given to the
scholars.
Cultural
Exchange Programme:
Under the Cultural Exchange Programme study
tours are reimbursed, but ICCR has to be
informed of the study tour proposal well in
advance.
Scholars
proceeding on a study tour should have their
study tour proposal certified by the
Supervising Teacher or Head of the
Institution concerned as an integral part of
or as essential is enclosed at Annexure III.
This form should be completed and sent to
ICCR for clearance.
The scholar
would be paid the cost of return first class
rail fare
non-air-conditioned or the actual bus fare
together with the daily allowance as
indicated below for the period of the tour:
For the first
30 nights at one place at Bombay, Calcutta,
Madras, Delhi Rs. 80/-per night
At all other places Rs. 60/-
For the period in excess of 30 nights at :
Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Delhi Rs. 60/-
At all other places Rs. 40/-
This daily allowance is given in addition to
the normal monthly maintenance allowance.
House Rent
Allowance:
Accommodation Charges: Students staying in
hostel in universities will have their
hostel room rents including water,
electricity and other charges reimbursed to
them. Students not staying in a hostel would
be given an accommodation allowance of Rs.
1,000/- per month. In order to qualify for
this accommodation allowance, students are
required to produce a certificate from the
university authorities that hostel
accommodation has not been provided to them.
(Please see Annexure III).
How to Apply for a
Scholarship
Offer of scholarships are sent to the
respective Governments through Indian
diplomatic missions abroad. Nominations are
received from the respective Governments in
the Indian diplomatic missions concerned.
These are forwarded to ICCR for final
selection and placement. Direct applications
from candidates cannot be considered by ICCR.
International government nominees have to
fill prescribed forms for Scholarships for
Foreign Nationals that are available with
Indian missions abroad. While filling in the
forms, the candidate must specify the course
he wishes to pursue such as i)
certificate/diploma ii) undergraduate degree
iii) postgraduate degree iv) doctoral
research work only. Candidates are also
advised to consult the Handbook of Indian
Universities available with Indian missions
abroad to ensure the availability of their
choice of a course in India. The application
forms should include the required number of
copies of educational certificates along
with three copies of passport-size
photographs. In some cases, a no objection
certificate from the candidate's employer or
place of work is also required.
Medical and AIDS Test
Medical examination and production of a
medical certificate indicating fitness to
undertake studies in India are required. In
addition, a medical test for AIDS has been
made mandatory for all international
students (self financing as well as
government scholarship holders) coming to
study in India. There have been cases where
international students (after joining the
respective institute) have been found to
carry the AIDS virus. Consequently they have
had to be repatriated to their home
countries immediately. This causes
embarrassment not only to the students
concerned, but also to the Government of
India. To avoid such a situation, it is
advised that all international students
coming to India should get themselves
checked against AIDS before they set out
from their countries. After arrival, all
international students will have to undergo
an AIDS test again to confirm their medical
fitness for taking up studies.
Visa Regulations go top
All international students wishing to come
to India, on self financing or under a
scholarship scheme, are required to get a
students' vise from Indian missions abroad.
For students on Government of India
scholarships, the respective Indian missions
are advised by ICCR to issue a regular
student visa after the student's admission
in an Indian university is confirmed.
Students coming on a self financing basis
should produce confirmed letters of
admission from universities or recognised
colleges and institutions in India for
obtaining the regular student visa.
Students not having firm letters of
admission from universities or institutions
will be issued Provisional Student Visa by
the Indian missions abroad, on the basis of
provisional letters of admissions. These
Provisional Student Visa will be valid for 3
months. Within these 3 months, admission
will have to be confirmed otherwise the
student will have to leave India. No
extension of Provisional Student Visa is
permitted.
A student
applying for regular or Provisional Student
Visa will have to indicate the name of the
university or college or institution where
the admission has been arranged. The name of
the university or college or institution is
then mentioned in the visa. A request for
change of university or institution
subsequently made, cannot be considered.
"Change of
purpose" of visit of international students
to India is not allowed once they arrive in
India. Therefore, students
coming to India on tourist or any other type
of visa, cannot get their visa changed to
Student Visa once they are in India.
According to
government regulations, if an international
student coming to India on a tourist or any
other type of visa (except a Student Visa ),
obtains admission into a university or any
institution in India, the student will be
required to return to his country and obtain
a new visa (i.e. a Student Visa) from the
Indian mission there. To avoid this
situation, all self financing international
students are advised to obtain regular or
provisional student visa from Indian
missions abroad by producing confirmed or
provisional letters of admission from a
university or an institution.
Some Important Advice to International
Students
Before Departure from his Country
It is advisable to find out from the nearest
Indian diplomatic mission about travel,
health, and other documents that are
required before coming to India. The
documents listed below may be necessary for
international students coming to India:
Valid Passport
Confirmed letter of acceptance or a
provisional admission certificate from a
university or a college or institution
Proof of availability of sufficient funds
for the duration of studies in India for
self financing international students
Student Visa - Regular or Provisional
Health certificate and AIDS-free certificate
Information regarding customs and baggage
rules is available with the Indian
diplomatic missions abroad. Students are
advised to consult these rules before coming
to India.
It may be
noted that as a general rule no financial
assistance is available from the limited
resources of Indian universities or
colleges. A student should also not count on
the possibility of getting jobs and earning
some money during vacation periods.
International students are therefore, urged
to make adequate financial arrangements from
their home country for the entire period of
stay in India. Scholars under the Government
of India scholarship schemes will however,
receive a monthly maintenance allowance.
As the
universities and other educational
institutions have limited hostel facilities,
international students are advised to apply
for hostel accommodation sufficiently in
advance and obtain confirmed acceptance
while applying for admission. Staying in
private accommodation may prove to be rather
expensive.
On Arrival in
India
An international scholar should make sure
that he has enough money to meet expenses in
transit as well as initial expenditure at
his place of study. If he is carrying
travelers' cheques he must remember that
these are accepted only at certain places.
While banks will readily change them and
some of the larger hotels and commercial
establishments will accept them, it would
not do to present a travelers' cheque to a
barber or a small shopkeeper.
Students under
Government of India Scholarship Scheme
should remember that a representative of
ICCR will invariably meet the scholar on
arrival unless information of arrival is
received late. The international student is
expected to meet all his expenses like
porterage, taxi fare and he should not
expect ICCR to pay on his behalf. The ICCR
official will arrange and help the student
obtain temporary accommodation, help him for
his further onward journey by train or air
and pay him his 3 months advance stipend. If
by any chance, the ICCR does not have any
information about the scholar's arrival in
India or the scholar fails to meet the ICCR
official at the airport, the scholar should
contact ICCR headquarters at New Delhi or
any other regional office of ICCR.
Joining the
Institute and Accommodation
After arriving in India, international
students should try to complete the
admission formalities immediately. They
ought to contact the Registrar of the
university or the Head of the department
concerned. After completing admission
formalities, the students must immediately
get in touch with the hostel superintendent
for their hostel accommodation. They should
contact YMCA,YWCA or youth hostels where
hostel accommodation in the universities is
not available. A list of such youth hostels
is given in Annexure V. Students should bear
in mind, that accommodation on long term
basis is not fixed in these places.
Therefore, alternate private arrangements
should be made by them as soon as possible.
The housing
problem is not so acute in small towns, but
in larger cities the problem is as acute for
Indians as for foreigners. The student
should not take it as a lack of hospitality
or a sign of unfriendliness if he finds it
difficult to get good accommodation.
The scholar
can also contact the International Student's
Advisor of his University for a list of
landlords who are willing to rent out their
apartments to overseas scholars for a
reasonable amount.
The scholar can also contact the
regional offices of the organisation
"Experiment in International Living"
(addresses given overleaf) for possible
contact addresses to stay and for advice on
how to adjust to Indian conditions.
The Indian
Association of the Experiment in
International Living
National
Office:
C/o Vishwa Yuvak Kendra,
Circular Road, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110
021.
Tel 91- 011-301 4329
Fax 91-011-3011343
Community Representative Centres
Sh. S. K. Khanna, M/s Hukam Chand Khanna &
Sons, Alishbag Road. Lucknow 226 004. Tel
0522- 235217
Mrs. Memoona
Rajkotwala, Sagar Sangeet, A Block 23rd
Floor, P. O. Colaba, Bombay 400 005. Tel
022- 2150416,2151539,
Sh. Dipak R.
Bhataria, Opp. Rang Upvan, Nanpura, Surat
385 001.Tel 0261- 430232.422726
Mrs. Bimla
Hurra, E 77/2 Sant Kutir, Ashram Road,
Ahmedabad 380 009. Tel 079- 449812
Medical Test
for AIDS
As mentioned earlier, according to present
regulations of the Government of India all
international students coming to India for
studies are required to undergo a medical
test for AIDS virus. Facilities for these
tests are available at most of the Indian
cities. International students should
contact these AIDS centres immediately after
completion of the admission and housing
formalities.
Joining Report and Payments
After joining their respective institutes,
the scholars must send their joining reports
to ICCR. A specimen format may be seen at
Annexure III. Further release of maintenance
allowance and payment of tuition and other
compulsory fees of the institution are made
by the ICCR only after receiving the joining
report of the scholar. Scholars must send
their joining reports at the earliest
through their respective institutions.
House Rent
Allowance (HRA) is given in cases where
hostel accommodation is not available to the
scholar and he makes his own private
arrangement. For payment of HRA. a
certificate from the institution stating
that hostel accommodation could not be
provided to the scholar, is required.
During a
scholar's stay at the university, he is
better advised to
send progress reports of his academic
performance on a regular basis for
smooth disbursement of his stipend.
Departure Tips
Once the student completes his course and is
ready to leave his parent country, the
following formalities have to be completed:
Obtaining a
No Objection Certificate from the
University. The student is expected to clear
all his dues such as hostel, mess charges,
library dues etc. before this certificate is
issued.
Obtaining an Income Tax Clearance
Certificate from the concerned Income Tax
Office. This is required to be given to the
Indian Immigration Authorities at the time
of departure.
The Income Tax Certificate is given upon
presentation of a 'No Objection Certificate'
from ICCR, and a similar one from the
university. Students planning to leave India
after completing their studies may kindly
contact the nearest regional office/ICCR
headquarters in New Delhi for further
information. |
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