Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme: Complete Guide for North East Students

The Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme is a visionary initiative by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Education to promote higher education in the North Eastern Region (NER) of India. Recognizing the disparity in Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education across the eight North Eastern states, this scheme aims to provide financial support to talented students to pursue general degree courses, technical courses, and professional courses including medical and paramedical studies.

What is this scheme?

Launched focused on the North Eastern Region (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura), the Ishan Uday Scholarship provides roughly 10,000 fresh scholarships annually. It is designed to encourage students from economically weaker backgrounds to take up professional and general degree courses in institutions recognized by UGC and other statutory bodies.

Who is eligible?

• The applicant must be a permanent resident (domicile) of any of the eight North Eastern States.
• The student must have passed Class 12 or equivalent in the preceding academic year.
• The applicant must have secured admission in the first year of any degree course (General/Technical/Professional).
• The annual family income from all sources must not exceed INR 4.5 Lakh.
• Students pursuing courses through Open Universities or Distance Learning modes are not eligible.
• Students already availing of any other government scholarship for the same course are not eligible.

How much money?

Eligible students receive a monthly stipend deposited via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT): INR 5,400 per month for General Degree courses and INR 7,800 per month for Technical/Professional/Medical/Paramedical courses.

Documents needed

1. Domicile Certificate issued by the competent Authority.
2. Income Certificate issued by the competent Authority.
3. Annual Progress Report and Continuity Certificate signed by the Head of the Institution.
4. Aadhaar Card copy.
5. Class 12 Marksheet and Passing Certificate.
6. Bank Account details (linked with Aadhaar).

How to apply (step by step)

1. Visit the official National Scholarship Portal (NSP).
2. Register as a new user by providing basic details such as name, state of domicile, and mobile number.
3. Log in using the generated Application ID and Password.
4. Select 'UGC Schemes' and choose 'Special Scholarship Scheme Ishan Uday'.
5. Fill in the academic and personal details accurately.
6. Upload the scanned copies of required documents in the specified format.
7. Submit the application and take a printout for future reference.
8. Ensure your institution verifies your profile on the NSP portal for processing.

Important dates

Conclusion

The Ishan Uday Special Scholarship is a transformative step towards bridging the educational gap between the North East and the rest of India. By providing consistent financial aid, it empowers thousands of students to achieve their academic dreams without the burden of financial stress. We recommend all eligible students to keep their domicile and income certificates ready and apply well before the deadline on the National Scholarship Portal.