Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence Rajasthan 2025

Hi! I’m Astronaut Alex 👨‍🚀🚀, and we will be talking about the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence 2023. Well, don’t worry if you haven’t heard of this scheme. I’ll help you understand what it’s all about. 

If you are a student from Rajasthan who wishes to study abroad in 2025-26, then you can apply for the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence. This scheme was first launched on 20 August 2021 by the Rajasthan government to honour the former PM, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi. The scholarship helps cover academic expenses for students while studying abroad. This blog will provide you with all the information about this scholarship. We will cover its eligibility criteria, benefits and allowances, course-wise slots, eligible universities abroad, and the application process. Read on to know more!

Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship: Overview

Being committed to academic excellence, the former PM of India, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, had a modern vision for the students and youth of the country. As a tribute to his contributions, the current CM of Rajasthan, Shri Ashok Gehlot, announced the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence for students of Rajasthan on the former PM’s birth anniversary. Initially meant to provide financial support to 200 students, the number has been increased to 500 after the 2023-24 budget announcement.

Scholarship Name	Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence 2025
Provider	Department of College Education, Govt of Rajasthan
Number of Scholarships	500
Beneficiaries	Students of Rajasthan
Scholarship Amount	Upto INR 10,00,000
Age limit	35 years
Application Mode	Online
Deadline to Apply	Not announced yet

Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship: Eligibility Criteria

The Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship is a scheme meant to encourage students from economically weaker sections in Rajasthan to pursue their education overseas. The scholarship covers students enrolled in UG, PG, PhD, and postdoctoral courses in the latest 150 QS-ranked universities abroad. 

Let’s take a look at some other eligibility criteria that students need to fulfil to apply for this scheme:

1. The applicant must be a resident of Rajasthan.
2. The applicant must have a 12th/Bachelor’s/Master’s/Doctorate degree from a recognised Indian board/university.
3. The applicant must not be above 35 years of age as of 1 July.
4. The applicant must have received an offer/confirmation/admission letter from a foreign university covered by the scholarship.
5. The applicant’s annual family income must be less than or equal to INR 8 lakh.
6. Only one applicant from a family will be granted the scholarship.

Also Read: What is the Age Limit for Scholarships in India?

Benefits and Allowances

If a candidate is deemed eligible by the above criteria, they stand to receive the various benefits from the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence. Based on their annual family income, the students are divided into 3 categories: E1, E2, and E3. Candidates receive the scholarship amount based on which of these categories they fall under:

Category	Award/Benefits
E1 (income < 8 lakh)	Tuition and Bench fees – Up to INR 50 lakh Living fees – INR 3 lakh
E2 (INR 8 lakh <income< INR 25 lakh)	Tuition and Bench fees – Up to INR 50 lakh Living fees – INR 6 lakh
E3 (Income > 25 lakh)	Tuition and Bench fees – Up to INR 50 lakh Living fees – NA

Note: Applicants belonging to the E1 category will be considered in the first phase of the evaluation. The second and third phases of evaluation will consider students in both E1 and E2 categories. In the last phase, students of all three categories are considered collectively. 

Eligible students also receive allowances for different expenses while preparing to study abroad, like:

Annual Maintenance Allowance	Up to INR 10 lakh each
Annual Contingency Allowance
Visa Fees	Full reimbursement (in INR)
Tuition Fees	Full reimbursement
Medical Insurance Premium
Travel Cost

Also Read: Famous 5 Scholarships for Graduation in India

Course-Wise Slots

The Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship has a limited number of slots for different courses that students are enrolled in. The breakdown of the number of slots available for various disciplines is as follows:

Courses	Number of Slots
Humanities, Social Science, Agriculture and Forest Science, Nature and Environmental Science, Law	150
Management and Business Administration, Economics and Finance	25
Pure Science and Public Health	25

Note: If any of these slots go vacant, then the students can apply to the following disciplines, having 15 slots available: 

1. Engineering
2. Related sciences
3. Medicine
4. Applied Sciences

Also Read: Duke University Scholarships 2025

Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship: Eligible Universities

As mentioned earlier, students selected for the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship are eligible to apply to the top 150 QS-ranked universities around the world. Given below are the 50 eligible universities where candidates can apply for admission through this scheme in 2025-26:

University	QS World Ranking 2026
Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)	1
University of Cambridge	6
Stanford University	3
University of Oxford	4
Harvard University	5
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	10
UCL	9
ETH Zurich	7
University of Chicago	13
National University of Singapore (NUS)	8
Peking University	14
University of Pennsylvania	15
Tsinghua University	=17
The University of Edinburgh	34
EPFL	=22
Yale University	21
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)	12
Cornell University	16
The University of Hong Kong	11
Columbia University	=38
The University of Tokyo	=36
Johns Hopkins University	24
University of Michigan Ann Arbor	45
Université PSL	28
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	=17
The University of Manchester	35
Seoul National University	=39
The Australian National University	=32
McGill University	27
Northwestern University	=42
The University of Melbourne	19
Fudan University	30
Kyoto University	57
King’s College London	31
The Chinese University of Hong Kong(CUHK)	=32
New York University (NYU)	55
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	44
The University of Sydney	20
KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology	–
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	46
UNSW Sydney	20
Shanghai Jiao Tong University	=47
University of British Columbia	40
Institut Polytechnique de Paris	41
Technical University of Munich	=22
Duke University	62

Also Read: Visa Interview Documents Required to Study Abroad

How To Apply?

Applying for the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence is a simple online process through the official Rajasthan government portal. Candidates must register on the RajSSO platform, fill out the application form, and upload the required documents before the deadline. Following the official guidelines carefully ensures a smooth and successful submission.

1. Visit the official portal of the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence.
2. Select the “Online Scholarship” option on the Menu bar.
3. Click on “Apply Now” to start the application.
4. To register, go to the “Citizen” option on the “Registration” tab.
5. Choose your preferred method (through Jan Aadhaar or Google) to start the registration process.
6. Check your email ID and registered mobile number for login details.
7. Log in to fill up the scholarship form.
8. Save and download the application form receipt for future reference.

Documents Required

Applicants must submit essential documents such as their Janaadhaar ID, academic transcripts, admission offer letter, income certificate, and bank details. Ensuring all documents are clear and valid is crucial for successful verification and approval. Here are the mandatory documents that are required to be submitted during the application for the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence Rajasthan:

• 10th marksheet
• Qualifying Degree, Mark sheet/Certificate of last passed exam.
• Bonafide/ Domicile certificate
• Jan Aadhar Number
• Offer letter from a foreign university listed under the eligible institutions by the scholarship.
• Gross family Income certificate (authenticated by the executive magistrate and witnessed by two gazetted officers)
• ITRs (As applicable for the Financial year 2022-23, for applications in the financial year 2025-26)
• Affidavit for not filing ITR (given format)
• Self Declaration for Scholarships/ financial help, etc., from other sources.
• Passport
• Visa
• Aadhar Number

Scholarship Duration

The Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship provides financial assistance to students throughout the entire duration of their studies. So the scholarship duration varies with the course level and duration as shown below:

For UG courses	4 years (maximum)
For PG courses	2 years (maximum)
PhD	3 years (maximum)
Post-doctoral Research	1.5 years (maximum)

Conditions, Obligations and Post-Award Rules 

Recipients of the scholarship must follow certain rules regarding academic performance, reporting, and service commitments. These obligations ensure the funds are used responsibly and that scholars contribute meaningfully after completing their studies. Here are some conditions, obligation and post award rules:

• One-time award: The scholarship is normally allowed once per lifetime (for higher study award), so plan applications carefully
• Progress & reporting: Recipients must submit progress reports and university assessment; continuation of some benefits can depend on satisfactory academic progress. 
• Service/ utilisation exceptions (2025 updates): Recent policy changes indicate stronger exceptions that scholars will contribute to Rajasthan post-study (employment preference in the state, contribution to government projects, or other service conditions). Carefully review the 2025 guideline for any mandatory return to states clauses or work obligations. 

Contact Details

If you have any queries or complaints regarding the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship, then you can contact the concerned authorities through the following modes:

Telephone number – 0141-2941493

Email ID – [email protected]

You can also read further terms and conditions related to the scholarship here.

Also Read: Top Scholarships for Indians To Study Abroad After 10th: Types & Process

Mr Astronaut👨‍🚀🚀- “ Kiddos, I have answered all your queries with the utmost precision that I was capable of. Now, I will be taking my leave, but if you think that I might have missed something, do check out the FAQ section or drop a comment. I always respond!”

Yes, for eligible Rajasthan students with admissions to eligible institutions, the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship for Academic Excellence remains one of the most significant state-level supports for study at top national and global universities. However, because guidelines, seat allocations and obligations have shifted recently, make sure you consult the official 2025 guideline PDF and the live RajSSO portal before making decisions. If your study offer has a tight acceptance or visa deadline, start the scholarship process early and keep documentary proof of your admissions and deadlines handy.

FAQs

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We hope that this blog helped you discover everything about the Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship. To discover more scholarships to study abroad, stay tuned to Leverage Edu or call us on 1800 57 2000 to get a 30-minute free counselling session. Thank you for reading!