National Overseas Scholarship Scheme Guidelines for 2019-20

National Overseas Scholarship Scheme Guidelines for 2019-20National Overseas Scholarship Scheme Guidelines for 2019-20

Government of India
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship for SC etc. Candidates for Selection Year 2019 -20

I. Objective

i) The Central Sector Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship is to facilitate the low income students belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisans category to obtain higher education viz., Master degree or Ph. D by studying abroad thereby improving their Economic and Social status.Bachelor Level Courses in any discipline are not covered under the Scheme.

ii) The Scheme providesfinancial assistance to the finally selected candidates for pursuing Master level courses and Ph.D abroad in the accredited Institutions/Universities by an authorized body of that country, under the Scheme in following specified fields of study:-

a) Engineering and Management;
b) Pure Sciences & Applied Sciences;
c) Agricultural Sciences and Medicine;
d) International Commerce, Accounting & Finance; and
e) Humanities and Social Science
iii) One Hundred awards (100 awards), subject to availability of funds, per year are available under the Scheme with following distribution:

Discipline wise:

S.No. Fields Of StudyNo. Of Seats Each Year
A)Engineering And Management32
B) Pure Sciences And Applied Sciences 17
C) Agricultural Sciences And Medicine17
D) International Commerce, Accounting& Finance 17
E) Humanities & Social Science 17
 Total100
Category wise:

A)Scheduled Castes90
B)Denotified, Nomadic And Semi- Nomadic Tribes06
C)Landless Agricultural Labourers And Traditional Artisans04
 Total100
iv) If for any specific year, successful candidates are not available to the extent prescribed for each of the above listed categories, the awards for that year will become open for candidates belonging to other categories mentioned above as per merit grades attained by such candidates.

v) 30% of the awards for each year shall be earmarked for women candidates. However, in case, adequate women candidates are not found available as per the stipulations of the Scheme, then the unutilized slots are to be utilized by selecting suitable male candidates. The vacant slots of preceding selection year i.e. 2018-19, if any, will be carried forward to selection year 2019-20.

II. Minimum Qualification

For Ph.D: -55% marks or equivalent grade in relevant Masters’ Degree. Preference would be given to the experienced candidates, especially to those who are on lien with their existing post and employer. For Masters’ Degree:- 55% marks or equivalent grade in relevant Bachelors’ Degree.Preference would be given to the experienced candidates, especially to those who are on lien with their existing post and employer.

III. Age

Below 35 (Thirty Five) years, as on First day of the April 2019.
IV. Income Ceiling
Total family income from all sources shall not exceed Rs.6,00,000/- (Rs. Six Lakh per annum) during the preceding financial year.

V. Maximum Number of children in a family for the award Not more than two children of the same parents/guardians will be eligible and to this effect a self-certification will be required from the candidate. An awardee cannot be considered for the award on a subsequent occasion as the award can be given only once. The second child of the same parents/guardians will be considered only if the slots are still available for that year.

VI. Mandatory Conditions

i) The Employed candidates are required to provide a “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) from the Employer to this Ministry.

ii) (a) The selected candidate is required to execute a bond on a nonjudicial stamp paper before a notary-public with two sureties who will execute surety bonds separately for the actual amount to be spent by Government of India on the candidate or Rs.50,000/- (fifty thousand) whichever is more. Each of the surety bonds shall specify and cover for the estimated expenditure in Indian Rupees that would be incurredas travel expenses, fees, maintenance and contingency allowances, stipends, scholarship and other miscellaneous expenses, on the awardee during the entire period of study abroad and shall become payable by the sureties jointly or/and severally in case the awardee is declared a defaulter by the Ministry under the provisions of the Scheme. The language of the bond as decided by the Government of India will be acceptable to the candidate.The selected candidates have to provide Solvency certificates for both the sureties issued by Revenue department of the concerned State Government.

(b) In case the selected candidate obtains admission in an accredited University/Institution abroad and joins the University/Institution before execution of bonds as mentioned in clause
VI(ii) (a) and is not in a position to return to India than he/she may execute the Power of attorney (POA) for any representative of his/her in India to act for and on his/her behalf to execute legal Bonds/ agreements/undertakings with the Government of India. All such applicants are required to get the POA attested/validated by Indian Embassy/High Commission in the country where he/she is pursuing studies.

iii) The selected candidate will also be required to execute a bond with this Ministry and the Indian Mission abroad, as per prevailing laws of the foreign country, that the extension of stay abroad beyond completion of the course or duration of the scholarship under the Scheme, whichever is earlier will not be permissible. However the extension of stay abroad beyond completion of the course or duration of the scholarship under the Scheme, whichever is earlier will only be permissible as mentioned in clause VI(ix)

iv) The candidate will give an undertaking that he/she will allow his/herUniversity to share information with concerned Indian Mission abroad and the Ministry.The candidate has to give an undertaking that he/she is not in receipt of any scholarship from any government/other organization including University/College for the course he/she is applying under this scheme.

v) The selected candidates can pursue their respective studies in a accredited Institution/University under the Scheme. The candidates are required to make their own efforts in seeking admission in a accredited Institution/University in programmes/fields specified in the Scheme.

vi) In case the married candidates take a decision to take their spouse and children with them or join them subsequently during the period of study, it is entirely for them to assess their financial potential and availability of passport, visa etc. as no financial assistance of any kind as well as any other support coverage is provided under the Scheme for their spouse and children.

vii) All administrative matters like study leave, salary etc. will be directly resolved by the candidate with his/her employer and as per rules of the serving organization. This Ministry will not take any responsibility or render any assistance in this regard.

viii) In case of exigency at home where the awardee is required to return to India for some time to attend to it, the awardee is permitted to return to India for the specific purpose, after having informed the Indian Mission and the educational institution where one is pursuing studies about it. The awardee will, however, be required to bear to and fro journey expenses for the visit and shall also not be entitled to receive maintenance allowance under the schemefrom the Indian Mission, for the period of being away from the place of his/her educational institution abroad and the maintenance allowance shall be resumed by the Indian Mission only from the date of his/her resuming the same course at the same institution. The awardee after having dealt with the situation at home, is required to return to the place of his/her educational institution, as early as possible; failing which, he/she shall be liable to be declared a defaulter and the recovery proceeding will be initiated against him/her.

ix) All candidates after having availed of the award under the Scheme are required to return to India. However, permission for staying abroad after completion of the course without any financial support will be considered if a candidate is able to obtain employment abroad, or joins any other course or is married to a person settled abroad. For this purpose, the awardee will apply to the Ministry seeking permission for extension of stay immediately after completion of course and shall furnish reasons for doing so. The awardee after having returned to India is also required to immediately intimate to this Ministry in writing about having returned to India.

x) The awardee on return to India is also required to serve the Government, if he/she continues to be in Government service after return to India, as one was before going abroad with award under the Scheme.

xi) It will be for the candidate to obtain the appropriate visa for a country wherein one intends to study further under award from the Scheme and the Visa issuing authorities may see that only such type of visa be issued which only permits the candidate to pursue specified course abroad and thereafter the candidate returns to India. In case candidate is applying for admission in any University in the United States of America, the candidate is required to obtain J-1 VISA only.

The State Department of USA keeps a list of Designated Sponsor Organizations for J-1 visas for students.Candidates going to USA should apply in the J-1 Visa sponsoring Universities/colleges only. In case a candidate has applied for admission on F-1 Visa or has already obtained F-1 Visa, such candidate is not eligible for scholarship under the Scheme. Government of India will render no assistance to the candidate for obtaining Visa.

xii) Selected candidates are required to furnish all such documents and enter into such agreements before their departure as shall be decided by the Government of India from time to time.

xiii) In case the awardee has received overpayment through Indian Mission abroad or any other Government agency, he/she is liable to refund the same to Government of India and his/her employer (if any) is authorized to recover the excess amount from his/her dues, on request from Government of India, and refund the same to Government of India.

xiv) The decisions of Government of India will be final in all such issues, as may come up during the course of time.

xv) The Indian Missions abroad will obtain bi-annual progress reports from the University/ Institution where the awardee is pursuing his/her studies for which the award was given under the Scheme. The Missions will inform to this Ministry such serious adverse developments in case of the awardee which requires decision towards further continuation of the award or otherwise. The Missions will, however, keep on advising such awardees to put serious efforts in improving their achievements who are not seen to be upto the mark as reflected in their said bi-annual progress reports and they may also be reminded that financial assistance under the Scheme is not extendable beyond the stipulated period under the Scheme.

xvi) The candidates shall not change the course of study or research for which scholarship has been sanctioned. However, when situations arise where an awardee pursuing Ph.D in a University/Institution where one is initially registered finds his/her guide has left and there are no immediate replacements thereof or the University/ Institutions has discontinued the research support facilities in the area where the awardee was pursuing Ph.D. research; the Indian Missions abroad in such cases are authorized to allow the awardee to change the University/ Institution as notified in the Scheme, after the Missions are satisfied about such a need, however, subject to the condition that the credits if any earned by the awardee in the initial University/ Institution are accepted for transfer by the second University/ Institutions and that the total period of award will remain unchanged even on such a transfer/change, which will be permitted only once during the award.

xvii) The candidate is not eligible for scholarship under this scheme to pursue the same level (Masters/Ph.D.) of course for which he/she has already acquired the qualification from any University/Institution either in India or abroad.

xviii) In case the awardee is unable to complete the course successfully and that if the guide/head of the department of the candidate certifies that the candidate has not been found wanting in his/her commitment/dedication/attention to studies then the Ministry shall have the right to exempt him/her from the penalty clause of Defaulter under the Scheme. The Indian Missions in all such cases will provide the return air passage to India by shortest route and economy class.

xix) When the awardee overstays abroad for more than one month after successful completion of the course and then of his/her own returns to India at own cost, he/she will not be entitled to refund of return passage booked by him/her. In normal circumstances, immediately after successful completion of the course, the Indian Missions abroad books the return journey, for the awardee as provided in the Scheme, and thus, the overstaying awardee without any specific purpose for more than a month after the course is over, will forfeit his/her claims of return passage at Government expense through Indian Missions abroad.

xx) The Indian Missions are required to intimate to this Ministry about the return of the awardee to India.

xxi) No scholarship will be disbursed/paid to the candidates who complete their education abroad without completing the required procedure/formalities under NOS Scheme.

xxii) This Ministry, if necessary, in consultation with other Departments/Agencies, will take decision on such issues concerning awardees arising out of such situations and circumstances which are of unforeseeable nature and, thus, not covered under this written Scheme and the decisions of the Ministry will be final and binding on the awardees.

VII. Financial Assistance

A. Quantum of Annual Maintenance Allowance

i) For United States of Americaand other countries except United Kingdom The annual maintenance allowance of US Dollars 15400/- (Fifteen Thousand four hundred) has been prescribed for all levels of courses covered under the Scheme.

ii) Only for United Kingdom The annual maintenance allowance of 9900/- (Nine Thousand nine hundred) Great Britain Pound (GBP) has been prescribed.

B. Earning from Research/ Teaching Assistance The awardees are permitted to supplement their prescribed allowances by undertaking Research/Teaching Assistantship.

C. Contingency Allowance
i) For United States of America and other countries except
United KingdomThe prescribed contingency allowance for books/essential
apparatus /study tour/travel cost for attending subject related conferences, workshops etc./ typing and binding of thesis etc. is US Dollars 1500/-(One thousand five hundred) per annum.

ii) Only for United Kingdom
The prescribed contingency allowance for books/essential apparatus /study tour/travel cost for attending subject related conferences, workshops etc./ typing and binding of thesis etc. is Great Britain Pound (GBP) 1100 (One thousand one hundred) per annum.

D. Incidental Journey Allowance & Equipment Allowance The prescribed Incidental journey allowance is US $ 20/- (twenty) or its equivalent in Indian Rupees and the prescribed equipment allowance is US $ 20/- (twenty).

E. Poll Tax
Actual will be paid, wherever applicable.
F. Visa Fees
Actual visa fees in Indian Rupees will be paid.
G. Tuition Fees
Actual as charged
H. Medical Insurance Premium
Actual as charged

I. Air Passage

Air passage from India to the nearest place to the educational institution and back to India, by economy class and shortest route in arrangements with the national carrier, will be provided.

J. Local Travel

i) Second or Coach class railway fare from the port of disembarkation to the place of study and back. In case of far flung places not connected by rail, bus fare(s) from the place of residence to the nearest railway station, actual charge of crossing by ferry, air fare to the nearest rail-cum-air Station and/or second class railway fare by the shortest route to the port of embarkation and back will be permissible.

ii) The mode of disbursement of above listed financial assistance will be decided by Government of India and Indian Missions abroad.

VIII. Duration of Award with Financial Assistance

i) The prescribed financial assistance is provided upto completion of the course/research or the following period, whichever is earlier:-

Ph.D. — 04 years (Four years) Master Degree — 03 years (Three years)
ii) The extension of stay beyond prescribed period for levels of courses as mentioned above, may be considered without financial assistance of any kind except the air passage to return to India, if and only if recommendation of the competent concerned authority in the educational institution/ university as well as the Indian Mission abroad is received certifying that such an overstay for a specified period, is absolutely essential for facilitating the candidate to complete the course. The final decision in this regard will, however, rest with the Government of India alone.

IX. Jurisdiction of the Scheme

The jurisdiction of the Scheme is upto providing prescribed financial support to the selected candidates for pursuing higher education in the specified subjects. The Scheme does not cover employment aspects of the awardee and also does not provide for any kind of assistance to the awardee in seeking employment anywhere, after his/her having availed of the award.

X. Default under the Scheme

In case a candidate pursuing studies abroad violates any of the terms and conditions of the bonds executed by him/her and that the educational Institution/ University intimates the Indian Mission abroad about his/her adverse reports on studies and/or conduct and/or that the candidate leaves for any other country or absconds or joins any other university or course/programme or/and returns to India in case of exigency without intimating the Indian Mission abroad, he/she will be declared defaulter and will become liable for refund of entire amount spent on him/her along with the interest which will be 12% per annum and in case an awardee fails to repay the amount within six months from the date on which a demand for such refund is made, penal interest at the rate which is 2.5% higher than the above normal rate of interest on the outstanding amount would be charged. If the awardee fails to repay such amount along with interest thereon in the manner decided by Government of India, his/her sureties who have executed bonds, will be to pay the entire amount failing which the District Collector of the  concerned district will realize the amount as arrears of land revenue.

XI. Selection Procedure

i) The Scheme will be advertised in the newspapers/other media giving summarized information about the Scheme. The candidates shall after assessing their eligibility and suitability, as per conditions of the scheme mayapply online to this Ministry on the dedicated online portal of the scheme. Applications received from 1st April, to 31st March of the financial year will be considered for grant of award/assurance of for that year and the award/assurance so given will be valid for a period of one year from the date of communication of the award/assurance.

ii) The online portal shall be opened for period of 30 days initially calling for applications in April, 2019. In case, sufficient applications are not received or the number of the selected candidates is less than the earmarked slots, the online portal may be opened again on 1st July, 2019 for 30 days. If required, the portal may again be opened for the same duration on 1st September, 2019 & 1st January, 2020 also.

iii) Students who have already taken admission in one of accredited foreign Institutions/University by an authorized body of that country from the academic session 2019-20 onwards and are pursuing for higher studies will be considered for the award on first come and first serve basis subject to fulfillment of other conditions of the Scheme.

iv) Students who are trying to obtain the admission in accredited foreign universities/Institutions by an authorized body of that country may also be provided assurance of scholarship, to facilitate their admission, if required by accredited educational institutions/university. In case they are finally successful in securing such admission, they may be considered for the award, subject to other conditions of the Scheme. The assurance so given would be valid for a period of one year from the date of communication of the assurance. The award will be admissible from 2019-20 and no past claims will be.

v) In case of tie (When the available unfilled slots are less than the eligible candidates) between two or more candidates the following selection procedure will be followed:-
a) First, available unfilled slots earmarked for women candidates will befilled up from amongst eligible candidates.

b) Next, the remaining slots will be filled up by the eligible candidate older in age, i.e., the first available slot will begiven to the oldest candidate and subsequent slots in the descending order of age.
The Selection cum Screening Committee will make suitable recommendations on the basis of above guidelines.

XII. Furnishing of False Information

If any candidate has furnished any false information/document and is established as false, he/she will be debarred from the award and if he/she has availed of it or is availing, an action will be initiated for recovery of the amount spent with 15% compound interest thereon. Such candidate will also be black listed for future and the employed candidate will also have to face departmental action for such act, for which the Government of India will take up the matter with the respective employers. The respective employers are, therefore, also requested to carefully go through contents of application of their employees befor ving NOC to the applicant. The employers are also free to insist on andidates employed by them to execute such bonds with them, as they deem fit and necessary and in accordance with their rules and gulations in such cases.

XIII. Litigations

Any litigation on matters arising out of this Scheme in India will be subject to sole jurisdiction of the courts situated in Union Territory of Delhi. The litigations arising abroad will be attended to by the Indian Missions abroad.

XIV. Relaxation to any Clause of the Scheme

Modification/Relaxation in the guidelines of the Scheme, except the financial norms may be considered and decided by the Minister of ocial Justice and Empowerment. Financial parameters may be changed in consultation with the Department of Expenditure.

XV. Passage Grants

i) Applications on plain paper in the prescribed format are also invited for the award of five passage grants in a year to Scheduled Castes (four grants), and Denotified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Tribes (One grant), which are open throughout the year. Only those candidates who are in receipt of merit Scholarship for Post Graduate Studies, Research or Training abroad (excluding attending seminars, workshops conferences) from a foreign vernment/ organisation or under any other Scheme, where the cost of passage is not provided, will be eligible to apply.

ii) The Candidate should possess a Masters’ or an equivalent degree in Technical, Engineering and Science disciplines. The eligibility conditions otherwise will be same as contained in the Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship for SC etc candidates.


iii) The candidates who have already reached abroad will not be considered for passage grants. For selected candidates, air passage to the destination abroad and back to India will be provided by economy class and shortest route through arrangement with the national carrier. Prospective candidates can contact this Ministry for obtaining application form for applying for the passage grant.

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