INSPIRE Scholarship 2025: You scored high marks in Class 12 and joined a B.Sc. or an integrated M.Sc. Now fees, books and hostel costs come every month. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) offers a scholarship to help with them. It is not a loan, so you don’t repay it.
But the call is named SHE-2025 because it is for the 2025 batch, even though the form opens in 2026. If you passed Class 12 in another year, or you are outside the age range, you can’t apply. Your course must be a basic science subject, so engineering and medicine are left out. You also can’t hold another scholarship at the same time, and DST rejects incomplete forms without hearing appeals.
Below you will find the amount and when the first payment comes, who can apply, the subjects that count, the papers to upload, the five steps to apply and what happens after you submit. Every detail comes from the DST call notice and the INSPIRE portal, checked on 11 November 2026.
INSPIRE Scholarship 2025 Overview
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Scholarship Name | INSPIRE Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) |
| Given By | Department of Science and Technology |
| Beneficiary | Science students, Class 12 pass 2025 |
| Benefit Amount | ₹60,000 per year (₹5,000 monthly) |
| Apply Start Date | 7 November 2026 |
| Last Date | 7 December 2026, 11:59 pm |
| Official Website | online-inspire.gov.in |
What is the INSPIRE Scholarship (SHE)?
It is a government scholarship for students who study basic science after Class 12. The aim is to bring bright students into science and research.
Key Points
- The scholarship is ₹60,000 a year, but the first payment comes only in your second year.
- Upload every paper, including the signed endorsement certificate, because incomplete forms are rejected.
- Open an SBI savings account in your own name, linked with Aadhaar, as soon as you are selected.
Many students think there is a separate exam for it. There is none. DST picks students from results they already have, and the eligibility section below shows which ones count.
INSPIRE Scholarship Amount and Benefits
If DST selects you, this is what you get. We have put it in one table, so you can check it quickly:
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Scholarship | ₹60,000 per year |
| Duration | Up to 5 years |
| Extra Grant | Summer research mentorship grant |
| To Continue | 60% marks or 7.0 GPA |
Don’t expect money in year one. The first payment of ₹1.20 lakh comes in your second year, after DST checks your first-year marksheet.
INSPIRE Scholarship Eligibility
If you want to apply, you must meet the first three conditions below. After that, you need any one of the last three:
- Age 17 to 22 years
- Class 12 passed in 2025
- B.Sc., B.S., B.Sc. with Research (4 years) or Int. M.Sc./M.S. course
- Top 1% in your Board’s Class 12 exam
- Top 10,000 rank in JEE (Main or Advanced) or NEET
- NTSE scholar, JBNSTS scholar or Olympiad medalist
You can’t take another scholarship together with this one, so choose one before you apply.
Courses Covered in INSPIRE Scholarship
Your course must be a basic science subject. The notice has the full list in Annexure-1. These are the main ones:
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Statistics
- Geology
- Botany
- Zoology
- Microbiology
Engineering, medicine, computer science, biotechnology and agriculture are not covered.
Documents Required for INSPIRE Scholarship
Keep these papers ready before you start. Scan your photo as a JPEG up to 50 KB and the other papers as PDF files up to 1 MB each:
- Passport Size Photograph
- Class 12 Marksheet
- Class 10 Marksheet or Certificate (for date of birth)
- Endorsement Certificate
- Rank or Award Certificate (if you apply by JEE, NEET, NTSE, JBNSTS or Olympiad)
The endorsement certificate must be in the format on the portal, signed by your Principal, Director or Registrar.
Apply for INSPIRE Scholarship Online
If you want to apply for the INSPIRE Scholarship, please read all the steps below carefully. The form is online only, so you can fill it from home. We have explained each step, so just follow them one by one:
- First, you have to go to the official website of the INSPIRE programme, online-inspire.gov.in.
- On the home page, click ‘New User? Register here’ and make your account. If you already have one, use ‘Sign In’.
- After you log in, open the call for INSPIRE-SHE (2025). Fill in your personal, Class 12 and course details.
- Now upload your scanned documents in the file sizes given above.
- Finally, check your name and date of birth against your Class 10 marksheet, and then submit the form.
INSPIRE Scholarship Selection Process and Offer Letter
DST checks all the forms, and this takes at least four months on average. Your first (provisional) offer letter, or a rejection letter, comes on your portal dashboard.
If you are selected, upload the papers DST asks for within the time in the letter. You also need a savings account in your own name at State Bank of India (SBI), linked with Aadhaar. Joint accounts and other banks are not accepted. Sign the first page of the passbook before you upload it.
INSPIRE Scholarship 2025 FAQs
Do I have to repay the INSPIRE Scholarship?
No, it is not a loan. You repay only if you take another scholarship at the same time.
What if my marks fall below 60% in a year?
You lose the scholarship for that year. It starts again the next year if your marks are good.
Can I do an M.Sc. after B.Sc. with the same scholarship?
Yes, if you join a basic science M.Sc. right after B.Sc. A one-year break stops it.
Sources: DST call for applications under SHE (2025), INSPIRE portal announcement and SHE FAQs (online-inspire.gov.in)
Disclaimer: This article is for information only. Please check the official website before you apply.
