DST

INSPIRE Scholarship 2026

INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) — Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is the DST scholarship for top Class 12 Science students to pursue Bachelor's (BSc) and Master's (MSc) in Natural/Basic Sciences. ₹80,000/year for 5 years (₹60K scholarship + ₹20K summer internship). Aim: attract bright minds to scientific research.

State / National LevelNational
State / RegionIndia
Last Date5 years (BSc + MSc Integrated) or course duration
Reward Amount₹60K scholarship + ₹20K summer internship grant

Eligibility

✓ Top 1% in Class 12 Science from any recognised board (CBSE, ICSE, State boards)
✓ OR JEE Mains AIR ≤ 10,000
✓ OR NEET AIR ≤ 10,000
✓ OR KVPY fellowship
✓ OR INSPIRE Award winner / Olympiad medalist
✓ Pursuing BSc / Int. MSc in Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Statistics, Geology)
✓ Admitted to recognized university / IISER / NISER
✓ Indian citizen

Description

INSPIRE (Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research) — Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) is the Government of India's prestigious scholarship to attract top Class 12 science students to pursue Bachelor's and Master's in Natural and Basic Sciences (BSc/MSc). Annual scholarship of ₹80,000/year for 5 years (Integrated BSc-MSc programs) — ₹60,000 scholarship + ₹20,000 Summer Internship grant. Eligibility: Top 1% in Class 12 Science boards, JEE Mains top 10,000, NEET top 10,000, KVPY/NTSE/Olympiad qualifiers. 10,000 fresh scholarships granted annually. Implemented by DST through online-inspire.gov.in.

Scholarship Classification

Discipline LevelGeneral
CategoryMerit
Level of Study12th, UG, PG, PHD
Course LevelCollege and University