Scholarships are an important part of any education system, especially the one in India where half of the country's population is under 25 years of age. With those statistics, it becomes government's responsibility to do everything in its capacity to promote education so that they become a responsible citizen of India in the future. This is a brilliant opportunity for students who have the required knowledge and skill set but are struggling with financial problems and can't afford to pursue their desired course. The scholarships provided by the government are boon for students belonging to the weaker sections of the society, who are unable to pursue their education for some reason or the other. Scholarship is an incentive as well as encouragement for students who do not have enough resources to study further. There are a variety of scholarships – merit-based, need-based, student-specific, career-specific and college-specific. The Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education offers National Scholarship and also facilitates in the nomination process for the External Scholarships offered by various countries, to the meritorious and eligible students. Other than that, there are organisations like ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited), University Grants Commission of India (UGC India), Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) which also give scholarships in various fields.
| Scholarship |
Offered by |
Subjects for which the scholarship is offered |
| Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan Scholarship |
Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan |
For those pursuing course of 3 years with Sanskrit /Pali/Prakrit as a subject |
| Central Sector Scholarship Scheme for college & university students |
MHRD |
For all streams |
| IOCL Scholarship |
IOCL |
For ITI, MBBS, Engineering & MBA Courses |
| Saksham Scholarship |
AICTE |
For Disabled students pursuing undergraduate professional / diploma courses |
| Pragati Scholarship |
AICTE |
For Girls pursuing undergraduate professional / diploma courses |
| JBNSTS Junior Talent Search Test |
JBNSTS |
For students currently studying in the First-year Basic Sciences (Hons) / Medicine / Engineering in registered colleges / Institutes/ Universities registered in West Bengal |
| Swami Dayanand Merit cum Means Scholarship for IIT/NIT Students |
Swami Dayanand Charitable Educational Foundation |
For students studying in any semester of the undergraduate course at any IIT or NIT in the country |
| Inspire Scholarship |
Dept. of Science & Technology |
Basic & Natural Science |
| KVPY |
Dept. of Science & Technology |
For undergraduate Program in Basic Sciences |
| PM scholarship scheme |
Department of Ex- Servicemen Government of India |
For the wards of widows and Ex-servicemen of Armed Forces enrolled in a degree programme such as BE, B.Tech, BDS, MBBS, B Ed, BBA, BCA, |
| ONGC Scholarship for SC/ST Students |
ONGC |
For professional courses in Engineering & Medical stream & |
| Ishan Uday Scholarship for North East Students |
UGC |
For North East Students pursuing Graduation in any stream |
| PM’s Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K students |
MHRD |
For the students enrolled in Undergraduate courses in Medical, Engineering, and General Degree |
| MOMA Scholarship-Merit cum means scholarship |
Ministry of Minority Affairs |
Engineering & Technology Courses |
| FAEA BHEL Scholarship |
Foundation for Academic Excellence & Access |
For students in the first year pursuing studies in the field of Arts, commerce, science, medical, engineering and other technical and professional |
Conclusion
You can go to the websites of these organizations and check if you fulfill the requirements needed to avail these scholarships. Even if you can afford the education you want, saving money for future does not hurt, so these scholarships are advantageous not only for students from weaker sections of the society but anyone in general. Winning a scholarship will be a great boost for self confidence because of the insane competition for every seat. It will also be a valuable addition to your resume so you should not let go of the chance like this if you get it.