Scholarships in India EduDiary

COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP PLAN (CSFP)
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The Plan offers up to 55 annual scholarships and up to 70 academic staff fellowships for Indians. The scholarships are for one-year masters, three-year doctoral or one-year clinical training awards in specific subjects. As the scholarships are for postgraduate study or research, you must have a university degree or equivalent qualification. If there are no undergraduate courses in a particular subject in your own country or regional university, it may sometimes be possible for you to apply to do a first degree course under this scheme. The academic fellowships are meant for the staff of an Indian university in specific subjects. You must be nominated by the executive head of the university on whose permanent staff you serve.

Grants are for one to three years and usually cover the cost of travel, tuition fees and living expenses. In some cases additional allowances may be available for help with books or clothes. An allowance may be paid to help you with the cost of maintaining your spouse.

The preliminary selection of candidates for scholarships is carried out in India by Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Department of Education, Govt. of India. You should, therefore, be resident in India when you apply. The preliminary selection is done through a process of shortlisting of applications followed by personal interviews in New Delhi. The MHRD advertises these scholarships in July or August every year for the awards beginning the following academic year. Therefore, you must apply for these scholarships at least one year before the commencement of course. Deadlines vary, so you must check that you know what the deadline is before applying. The interviews are normally held in November or December for the awards beginning September in the following year. The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), London does the final selection on the basis of the nominations sent by the MHRD.

The preliminary selection of candidates for academic staff fellowships is carried out in India by University Grants Commission (UGC). You should, therefore, be resident in India when you apply. The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), London does the final selection on the basis of the nominations sent by the UGC. The preliminary selection is done through a process of nomination of academic staff by the executive head of the university on whose permanent staff the nominee serves. This is followed by shortlisting of applications and personal interviews in New Delhi. The UGC sends circulars to all universities in July or August every year for nominations for the awards beginning the following academic year. Therefore, you must apply for these scholarships at least one year before the course starts. Deadlines vary, so you must check with your respective executive heads about the deadline for applying. The interviews are normally held in November or December for the awards beginning September in the following year.

You are advised not to write to the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) in London, as they cannot allocate individual scholarships. Instead, you may contact the Commonwealth Scholarship Agency in your own country. If you are already in the UK, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) can help you with general information concerning the scheme, but it cannot issue application forms to international students.