Inspire Scholarship: 2023 Last Date, Amount, Cut Off

Sometimes even the smallest push can be a giant leap! Have you ever been inspired to become a scholar in science and technology? Only a few are privileged to take the road less travelled. Scholarships are tailored for the purpose of ensuring that exceptional students with an aptitude for research and innovation get an opportunity to avail of quality higher education. Among many scholarships available for students pursuing science-intensive programs, the most well-known and sought-after is the Inspire Scholarship. The article covers everything you need to know about this scholarship.

Particulars	Details
Name of the Scholarship	INSPIRE Scholarship 2023
Provider	Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India
Beneficiaries	Students pursuing bachelor’s and master’s courses in Natural and Basic Sciences
Benefits	Selected candidates receive an annual scholarship of INR 80,000
Key Eligibility	Students who passed Class 12 who are pursuing courses in Natural and Basic Sciences
Application Timeline	October to December (Tentatively)
Official Website	online-inspire.gov.in

Understanding Inspire Scholarship

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is an innovative programme managed and sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India. This scheme aims to communicate a creative pursuit of science among students in order to build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening the base of research and development in science and technology. The striking feature of the programme is its Inspire Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) offering 10,000 scholarships to meritorious students enrolling for BSc, BS or Integrated MSc/MS programs in Natural and Basic Science every year. This also includes mentorship assistance provided to every scholar.

Inspire Scholarship Details 2023

S.No.	Event	Details
1.	Name of the Scholarship	Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research Scholarship for Higher Education or INSPIRE SHE
2.	Scholarship Provider	The Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India
3.	Applicable for	Selected students undertaking Bachelor and Master’s level education in Natural and Basic Sciences
4.	Number of Scholarships	10,000
5.	Scholarship State	All India
6.	Scholarship Amount	₹ 80,000 per annum
7.	Scholarship Apply Date	*1st November 2021
8.	Deadline to Apply	*December 2021
9.	Release Date of the List of Shortlisted Students	*April-May 2022
10.	Mode of Application	Online
11.	Official Website	https://www.online-inspire.gov.in/

*The above-mentioned dates are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of The Department of Science and Technology (DST)

Courses Under Inspire Scholarship

The scholarship is applicable for students enrolled in the BSc, BS or Integrated MSc/MS program with subjects such as Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Microbiology, Anthropology Biochemistry, Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Atmospheric Sciences, Oceanic Sciences, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Electronics and Statistics.

Below is the list of courses that are not supported under this scholarship:

• Engineering
• Medicine
• Agriculture
• Seed Technology
• Biotechnology
• Military Science
• Defence Studies
• Psychology
• Home Science
• Geography
• Economics
• Education (including BSc – BEd dual degree course)
• Computer Science
• Computer Application
• Information Technology
• Bioinformatics
• Instrumentation
• Physical Education
• Distance Education Courses (at Open Universities)
• Other Professional Courses

Recommended Read: Ratan Tata Scholarship for Engineering Students

Inspire Scholarship Amount Details

S.No.	Scholarship	Scholarship Amount (per annum)
1.	Total Scholarship Amount	₹80,000
2.	Annual Scholarship	₹60,000
3.	Mentorship (A compulsory summer research project under the guidance of an active mentor in a recognized research centre of India)	₹20,000

Documents Required

Below is a list of essential scanned documents required to be uploaded by candidates during the application process. Any mistake or lack of information might lead to their rejection.

• Passport-sized photograph (in JPEG format with a maximum size of 50KB)
• Eligibility or Advisory Note (if provided by the Central or State Board)
• Senior Secondary (class 12th) Marksheet
• Class 10th Certificate/Marksheet for Proof of Date of Birth
• Caste or Community Certificate for SC/ST/OBC Applicants
• Certificate specifying rank in JEE Main and Advanced/NEET/JBNSTS/NTSE/KVPY/International Olympic Medalists (only those who are eligible)
• Endorsement Form Signed by the Principal of the College/Registrar of the University/Director of the Institute
• Copy of First Page of Applicant’s SBI Passbook

Eligibility Criteria

Below is the complete information about the important eligibility requirement for students to be applicable to Inspire SHE issued by DST, Government of India.

• The applicant should be in the age group 17-22 years.
• The applicants should be among the top 1% of the meritorious students in terms of overall marks in their class 12th.
• The applicants should be applying for courses in Natural and Basic Sciences such as BSc or BS and integrated MSc or MS, in the same year of passing class 12th.
• The applicants who are opting to study Natural and Basic Science after clearing among top 10000 rankers in JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) of IIT and top 20000 rankers in AIEEE and CBSE-Medical (AIPM/NEET).
• The applicants who are admitted to the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Department of Atomic Energy Centre for Basic Sciences (DAE-CBS) at the University of Mumbai for pursuing a course in Natural or Basic Sciences leading to BSc and MSc degree.
• The applicants who are Olympiad Medalists, National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojna (KVPY), Jagadish Bose National Science Talent Search (JBNSTS) scholar and are applying for courses in Natural or Basic Science.

Renewal Criteria

If you wish to continue your Scholarship in the subsequent years, you need to fulfil the below-mentioned criteria:

• A score of at least 60% marks or 7.0 GPA on a 10.0 point scale in the yearly examinations each year or 2 semesters.
• If you fail to secure the required marks in your annual exam, the scholarship for that academic year will be cancelled. In case your academic performance is satisfactory in the subsequent year, the scholarship will be resumed.

Terms and Conditions

There is a list of essential terms and conditions that applicants must keep in mind while applying for this scholarship:

1. Inspire Scholarship is awarded to students for a period of 5 years or until the completion of the course.
2. Applicants need to open a regular savings bank account in any branch of SBI under their name and it should not be a joint account. 
3. The shortlisted candidates should submit their year-wise performance report signed by the Head of the Institution and marksheet of their BSc, BS or Integrated MSc/MS for the release of the scholarship.
4. The Head of the Institution can be Principal/Vice-Principal/Office-in-Charge/Proctor in case of colleges and Vice-Chancellor/Registrar/Dean of Science in case of universities. 
5. It should be clearly mentioned in the performance report if the scholarship should be continued or not in that academic year.
6. The scholarship is released for the first time only after the approval of the performance report and marksheet of 1st year. If the academic score of the student is satisfactory during the 2nd year, 2 years of scholarship, i.e., ₹1,20,000 is released.
7. Students are not eligible to receive this scholarship if they are already availing any other scholarship.

Inspire Scholarship Application Process

We have formulated the easiest procedure for you to apply for this scholarship. But, it is important to carefully read the guidelines and conditions prior to application in order to avoid any mistakes during the application process:

1. Visit the Inspire Scholarship portal and register as a new user.
2. Enter your name, gender, date of birth, email, password, eligibility criteria and verification code for registration.
3. A generated User ID and password will be sent to your registered email ID.
4. You may now click on the activation link to activate your account.
5. Log in with your User ID and password at the Inspire Scholarship link.
6. Fill in your details in the application form like personal particulars, enrolment information at BSc and integrated MSc, details of senior secondary performance, national level competitive exam details, contact details.
7. Upload the necessary scanned documents mentioned above in prescribed format.
8. Click on the submit button to successfully submit your application.
9. Take a print out of your application form.

Inspire Scholarship: Selection Process

1. The list of the shortlisted candidates is displayed on the Inspire Scholarship portal and the official website of the Inspire programme.
2. The shortlisted students need to download their provisional offer letter uploaded on the online portal.
3. Upload the necessary documents on the online portal within the specified timeline for further consideration.
4. The scholarship award is directly received in the SBI account through Direct Bank Transfer (DBT).

Recommended Read: GRE Scholarships

FAQ’s

Make sure you check out the Inspire Scholarship online portal from time to time for any updated information and we hope you’ll make the best use of this scholarship! Want to pursue higher education abroad? Reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu, to know about various scholarships offered for Indian students planning to study abroad.