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India opens applications for 2025-26 diaspora scholarships
Selected candidates will receive financial assistance covering 75 percent of institutional costs.
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Anushka Pathak - Fri, 02, Jan 2026
- 16:09 EST
- 27
Poster for the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) 2025-26 / Courtesy: Indian MEA
The government of India has invited applications for 150 scholarships under the Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) for the 2025-26 academic year.
The program offers financial support to eligible students pursuing undergraduate studies in the country.
Administered by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), it is open to children of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Indian workers based in Emigration Check Required countries.
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Of the total scholarships, 100 are earmarked for children of NRIs, PIOs, and OCIs who have studied abroad, while 50 are reserved for children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries. One-third of the ECR-category slots are set aside for applicants studying in India.
Across all categories, 50 percent of the scholarships are reserved for female students. Selected candidates will receive financial assistance covering 75 percent of institutional costs, including tuition, hostel, and admission fees, capped at US$4,000 per year. Food expenses are excluded.
The support applies to undergraduate programs, including select medical courses, at central universities, NAAC ‘A’-grade institutions, National Institutes of Technology, Schools of Planning and Architecture, and Indian Institutes of Information Technology.
Eligibility criteria require applicants to be between 17 and 21 years of age as of July 31, 2025, and to have secured at least 60 percent aggregate marks or an equivalent grade in Class 12. Family income limits have been set at up to US$5,000 per month for NRI, PIO, and OCI applicants, and up to US$3,000 per month for children of ECR workers. The deadline for submitting completed applications is Jan. 30.
Applications, along with required documents, must be submitted through the relevant Indian embassy, high commission, or consulate. Detailed guidelines and application forms are available on the ministry’s website.
Launched in 2006-07 and expanded to cover all countries in 2022-23, the program is aimed at improving access to higher education in India for diaspora children and positioning the country as an international education destination. Selection is based on merit-cum-means criteria.
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