Harshankar Adhikary knew that his passport to freedom from his lower middle class existence was to work hard, and that he did. Be it at school or in college, his diligence earned him scholarships all through which helped him not only to ease the load off his parents’ back but also build a future to his liking.

After postgraduation in social work from Visvabharati University, Shantiniketan, Adhikary began work on his PhD. However, funds were hard to come by, and despite a job he couldn’t garner enough money for his thesis.

“I was working for an NGO which did not pay me much. Moreover, I had to take care of my parents. Only a scholarship could help me realise my dream,” recalls Adhikary.

It was then that he came across an advertisement issued by the Calcutta-based Paul Foundation, and thought of giving it a try. After an intense scrutiny of his application followed by gruelling interviews, Adhikary was selected for the scholarship. “It gave me a new lease of life. I could once again dream of the things I had planned to do,” he says.

Every year thousands of students avail themselves of scholarships offered by various agencies to complete their education. The University Grants Commission (UGC) is the largest scholarship granting authority in the country. Government ministries too take the help of the UGC to award scholarships.

Some of the new scholarships offered by the UGC are included under the Post-Graduate Merit Scholarship Scheme for rank holders at the undergraduate level. This is in association with the Union ministry of human resource development. Under this scheme, 2,375 scholarships are given each year. The winners are entitled to Rs 2,000 a month for 20 months during the period of postgraduation. The aim of the scholarship is to attract students to postgraduate studies in non-professional subjects. The awardees can pursue their master’s degree in any area of specialisation at any institution of higher learning recognised by the UGC.

“In the case of scholarships offered directly by the UGC, like the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and others, only those students are eligible who have passed the National Eligibility Test (NET) and similar exams recognised by the UGC. We also help ministries implement special programmes,” says Archana Thakur, education officer, selection and award bureau, UGC, Delhi. The commission directly awards more than 2,000 scholarships each year, most of which are for research courses at the MPhil level.

The UGC also has special schemes for girl students, scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST) students, and other categories of students. The Post Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for the Single Girl Child, for example, is one such programme. Those girl students who are their parents’ only child are eligible. They must also have enrolled in the first year of a masters degree programme at a UGC-recognised university or college. A total of 1,200 scholarships are awarded under this scheme every year. A monthly stipend of Rs 2,000 is paid for 20 months during the postgraduation period.

The Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship provides financial assistance to students from the ST community to pursue higher studies such as MPhil and PhD programmes. The scheme covers all universities / institutions recognised by the UGC.

Scholarships are given not only for graduate or postgraduate studies — there are some for practical training too. The tribal affairs ministry, for example, has a scholarship for ST students interested in the commercial pilot licence course (CPL). Selected candidates are provided a maintenance allowance. In addition, all compulsory fees, including flight charges, are provided by the ministry. For further information, log on to www.tribal.nic.in.

A scheme has also been launched for students of the SC and ST communities for postgraduate studies in professional disciplines such as engineering and technology, management and pharmacy from any university / college / institute in India. Around 1,000 scholarships are available under this scheme.

Talking of scholarships for engineering students, the National Thermal Power Corporation (www.ntpc.co.in) offers grants to about 35 SC, ST and physically challenged students every year. The scholarship, worth Rs 1,500 a month, is available from the second year to the final year.

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, is another government body that offers funding. The National Talent Scholarship is for students pursuing undergraduate degree programmes in agricultural universities. Selected candidates are allowed a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000. For details, log on to www.icar.org.in.

Besides government bodies, several private organisations award scholarships. Some of the well-known ones are The Paul Foundation Scholarships (www.thepaulfoundation.org), Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarships (www.nsscholarship.net) and Fedbank Hormis Memorial Foundation (FHMF) grants (www.federalbank.co.in).

The scholarships by The Paul Foundation of the Apeejay Group are for postgraduate students, both in India and abroad. The foundation awards around eight scholarships each year. “The scholars of The Paul Foundation, it is hoped, will pursue careers by which their communities — be it universities, research organisations or civil society organisations — will be enriched by their contributions,” says Shikha Mukherjee, chief executive, The Paul Foundation, Calcutta.

A postgraduate student of any subject may apply for the scholarship. “No area of knowledge is excluded. However, a certain amount of research must be part of the study programme,” says Mukherjee.

The FHMF scholarships are for needy undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing medicine, engineering, agriculture (BSc), nursing (BSc) and MBA. The family income of the student should not be more than Rs 2 lakh per annum.

The Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarships are for meritorious students pursuing postgraduate studies in leading institutes in India and abroad. Selected students are entitled to an interest-free loan of up to Rs 10 lakh. Set up in 2002, the Sekhsaria Foundation offers around 20 such scholarships. Under another scheme, it offers Rs 20,000 a year to 100 undergraduate students of engineering and medicine. These scholarships are limited to students studying in colleges in Mumbai, although anybody from any part of India can apply.

Another organisation that is well known in this field is the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (www.srtt.org). It offers scholarships to undergraduate and postgraduate students of professional courses such as pharmacy, nursing, architecture, fine arts, law and MCA.

The Aditya Birla Group Scholarships is open to students securing admission to the Indian Institutes of Management (IIT), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS), Pilani. Around 80 IIM students and 120 from the IITs and BITS are shortlisted on the basis of the entrance exam rankings. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges. Finally, the 10 best engineering and 10 best management students are selected. The IIM students are allowed Rs 1,75,000 per annum, and those from the IITs and BITS Rs 65,000 per annum.

Almost all the private scholarships call for detailed applications from candidates asking them to chart out their future plans. A panel of experts goes through the forms after which selected students are called for an interview.

“We look for students who are dedicated to their field of study as well as at their overall personality and the potential to excel,” says J.J. Kerawala, programme director, N.S. Sekhsaria Foundation, Mumbai.

Most of the scholarships call for applications in December or January. For more information, students may visit the websites of these organisations. Students may also register with the India Google group called Scholarships in India (www.scholarshipsinindia.com). “We have more than 5,000 members and every time we publish a new scholarship, we send the information to all the members,” says Joju Paul N., group moderator.

Winning a scholarship is not always about the money. Coming early in life, it does a world of good to a student’s confidence. Says Saurav Sen, a media professional who got a full scholarship waiver for his postgraduation in mass communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi, “It was not something that I was desperately looking for. But when it did come, it acted as a huge confidence booster. Moreover, it looks good on your résumé.”

Prize money

Some well known scholarships for studies in India

Post-Graduate Merit Scholarship Scheme for university rank holders (UGC)

Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child (UGC)

PG Scholarships for Professional Courses (UGC)

Aditya Birla Group Scholarships

Sir Ratan Tata Trust Awards

Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarships for Higher Studies

Indian Oil Scholarships Scheme for engineering, MBBS and MBA students

K.C. Mahindra Education Trust’s Mahindra All India Talent

Scholarship for job-oriented diploma courses

National Board for Higher Mathematics scholarships for

postgraduate studies (MA / MSc) in mathematics

The Paul Foundation Scholarships

Fedbank Hormis Memorial Foundation Scholarships

Larsen & Toubro’s Build-India Scholarship for students pursuing construction technology and management at IIT

The department of science and technology’s Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientists