OBC Scholarships 2023

Since independence, various measures have been taken by Central and state governments to enhance the level of education and improve literacy levels within the country. However, students belonging to backward classes often face financial constraints in pursuing higher education. To clear the path to attaining higher education, scores of organisations, institutions, and foundations offer financial aid to OBC students, out of which, many are scholarships for girls. So, here is a blog that will shed light on some of the most coveted OBC scholarships and their important details.

S. No.	Name of the Scholarship	Awarding Authority	Number of Scholarships	Tentative Application Period
1	National Fellowship for OBC	Government	300	July-August
2.	Merit Scholarship for Minority Students (Delhi)	Delhi Government	NA	March-April
3.	ONGC Foundation Scholarship Scheme for OBCs	Non-Government	1000	September-October
4.	Post-Matric Scholarship for OBCs	State Governments	N/A	September-December
5.	Pre-Matric Scholarship	State Governments	N/A	September-December
6.	Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas	Government	25	July-October
7.	Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Award to SC/ST/OBC/Minorities Students, Delhi	Delhi Government	NA	March-April

National Fellowship for OBC Students 

Funded by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Fellowship for OBC is offered to candidates who are enrolled in full-time courses like PhD and MPhil across Social Science, Science, Humanities, and Technology and Engineering disciplines. 

Scholarship Duration	2 years for JRF 3 years for SRF
Allowance	Rs 25,000 for JRFs and Rs 28,000 for those who are upgraded to the position of  SRF. This upgrade depends on the decisions of the committee and the work of the fellow.
Eligibility	Postgraduates

Merit Scholarship for Minority Students

Another addition to the list of OBC scholarships is the Merit Scholarship to minority students, which is administered by the Department of Welfare, Government of NCT. Apart from the Delhi government and government-aided schools, it is open for those students who are studying in Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, Directorate of Education, National Open School, and various MCD affiliated schools. Here are some key details regarding this merit-based scholarship. 

Family Income	Less than 2 Lakh from all sources of income
Scholarship Duration	1 year
Max Allowance	Rs 600 – Rs 4,500 per annum
Classes Covered	6th-12th
Intake	Depends on the requirements

ONGC Foundation Scholarship Scheme for OBCs

The Oil and Natural Gas Company, under its CSR initiative, offers a wide range of scholarships for OBC and other minority communities. Its Foundation Scheme for OBCs can be availed by those currently enrolled in the 1st year of Engineering/MBBS/MBA/ Master in Geology/Geophysics full-time degree course at recognised institutions. A maximum of Rs 48,000/annum will be granted under his scheme.

Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC

Apart from the aforementioned OBC scholarships, the 100% centrally sponsored, Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC is another option to consider. Offered by the state governments, it is available for those who want to pursue post-secondary/post-matriculation courses from recognised academic institutions. The award granted under this OBC scholarship ranges between Rs 260-Rs 750 per month (Hostelliers) and Rs 160-Rs 350 (day scholars). 

• Only those with an annual family income of less than Rs 1 Lakh per annum are eligible for the scheme. 
• OBC applicants who are permanent residents of the state where they are applying and have passed the senior secondary school from recognised boards can apply. 
• Those who want to apply for the scholarship after completing their graduation in a professional course like BTech are not eligible. 

Note: Only the basic criteria have been mentioned here. To read the eligibility criteria in detail, you can visit the official website here.

Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC 

Pre-Matric scholarships are awarded by the state governments to students enrolled in Class I-Xth and whose family income is not more than Rs 44,500 per annum. However, it will apply only to those who are studying in state government-recognised/UT-administered institutions. Enlisted are the key details about this OBC scholarship scheme. 

• The duration of the scholarship is 10 months. 
• The scholarship amount will range between Rs 25-Rs 250 based on the class and whether the student is a day scholar of a hosteler. 
• Rs 500 will be disbursed as an Ad-hoc grant per annum to all the awardees, irrespective of whether they are hostelers or day scholars. 

Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas

Selected OBC students or professionals who want to study for a Master’s or PhD at a foreign university are eligible for this programme. Engineering, management, agricultural science, and medicine are the study areas that qualify under this programme. Female candidates receive 30% of the available scholarships, and 25 scholarships are awarded for each topic each year. The fellowships awarded to master’s applicants are for three years and four years for PhD candidates, respectively. Along with the scholarship award, the students also receive other perks including incidental travel expenses, visa fees, poll tax, health insurance, air travel, and local expense reimbursement.

Eligibility

• Candidates for master’s and doctoral degrees are eligible to apply
• Candidates may apply for the scholarship if they received a grade of 60 per cent or above in their prior course.
• Candidates must be less than 35 years of age.
• The annual income shouldn’t be more than INR 3 lakh.

Information on Rewards

• Maintenance allowance US (annually) – USD 15,400 plus USD 1500 additional for books etc
• Maintenance allowance in the UK (annually) – GBP 9,900 plus GBP 1100 additional for books etc
• Research Allowance US (annually) – USD 2,400
• Research Allowance in the UK (annually) – GBP 1,560

Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Award to SC/ST/OBC/Minorities Students, Delhi

Students pursuing graduation from accredited colleges and universities are invited to apply for the Dr B.R. Ambedkar State Award to SC/ST/OBC/Minorities Students, Delhi 2021 by the Department for the Welfare of SC/ST/OBC, Government of NCT of Delhi. The recipients of this prize must be qualified, deserving students. A prize of INR 25,000 will be given to the graduate level best performers in each field.

Eligibility

• being a member of a minority group or SC/ST/OBC
• have completed classes 10 and 12 in Delhi
• be obtaining a degree in a reputable college or institution.

Benefits

The best SC/ST/OBC/Minority students in each professional/technical degree programme field will get INR 25,000.

FAQs

Hence, these OBC scholarships act as a gateway for students to complete their education without worrying about financial constraints. Planning to study abroad after the 12th but not sure how to go about it? Then reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu who will not only help you complete the application-related formalities but will also provide assistance in writing an impressive SOP!