Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students
₹31,000–35,000/month PhD fellowship for minority community students · 5-year tenure
The Maulana Azad National Fellowship provides 5-year research fellowships to minority community students (Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, or Zoroastrian) pursuing M.Phil or PhD at NAAC-accredited universities. It is awarded only through the UGC-NET or CSIR-UGC NET exam — no separate application process beyond qualifying the test. Register for the exam at nta.ac.in (UGC-NET) or csirhrdg.res.in (CSIR-UGC).
About This Scheme
The Maulana Azad National Fellowship provides 5-year research fellowships to minority community students (Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, or Zoroastrian) pursuing M.Phil or PhD at NAAC-accredited universities. It is awarded only through the UGC-NET or CSIR-UGC NET exam — no separate application process beyond qualifying the test. Register for the exam at nta.ac.in (UGC-NET) or csirhrdg.res.in (CSIR-UGC).
Full official description
Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students was launched in 2009 by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for providing financial aid to students for their higher studies.
The objective of the Fellowship is to provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, notified by the Central Government, to pursue M. Phil and Ph.D.
The scheme covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as under :
- Central/State Universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions) included under Section 2(f) of UGC Act, 1956 and having valid accreditation from NAAC.
- Deemed Universities under Section 3 of UGC Act, i.e., Institution for higher education notified by Central Government to be deemed University, in consultation with UGC and having and having valid accreditation from NAAC.
- Institution fully funded by State / Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
- Institutions of National Importance as notified by Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Benefits
- Junior Research Fellowship (JRF): ₹31,000/month for the first 2 years
- Senior Research Fellowship (SRF): ₹35,000/month for remaining tenure (up to 5 years total)
- Annual contingency grant: ₹10,000–₹12,000 for first 2 years; ₹20,500–₹25,000 for remaining tenure (varies by subject)
- Additional ₹2,000/month escort assistance for physically or visually challenged candidates
💡 Why Startups Should Care
MANF fellows are among the most determined minority community researchers in India — if you're running a social enterprise or education startup serving these communities, they're natural allies and eventual hires who understand both the policy landscape and lived experience.
Who Can Apply (Eligibility)
- Must belong to a notified minority community: Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, or Zoroastrian (Parsi)
- Must qualify UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination
- Must be enrolled in M.Phil or PhD at a recognized, NAAC-accredited university
- Must not have previously availed any other fellowship — partially or fully
- Government employees on study leave or extraordinary leave are not eligible
- Maximum 2 members per family can benefit from this scheme
Exclusions
- Only 2 students per family are eligible for this fellowship
- Not available to employees of any university, college, or government (even if on study leave)
- Not available if fellowship has been partially or fully availed under this scheme previously
How to Apply
- Qualify UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC Test — apply at nta.ac.in (for UGC-NET) or csirhrdg.res.in (for CSIR-UGC)
- Ensure you apply for both JRF and Eligibility for Assistant Professor in the same test
- If already enrolled in M.Phil/PhD when applying for the test, note that the award letter is valid for only 3 months from its date of issue
- After receiving the award letter, submit a 'Continuation Certificate' every 3 months at the UGC designated bank branch to continue receiving the fellowship
- Submit an annual Progress Report after one year, along with contingency grant accounts in the prescribed proforma
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for fellowship under MANF scheme?
The candidate should belong to one of the minority communities notified under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, viz., Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian (Parsi).
Is it mandatory to appear in the UGCNET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test for MANF Fellowship?
Yes, this fellowship is awarded only through UGC-NET / Joint CSIR-UGC Test. Candidate should apply for both i.e. JRF and Eligibility for Assistant Professor.
What is the period for availing the award of MANF through UGCNET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test?
For the candidates who had already taken admission into M.Phil / Ph.D while applying for the concerned UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test, the validity period of the offer is three months w.e.f. the date of issue of Award letter. Other candidates have to join M.Phil / Ph.D within three years from the date of issue of the Award Letter.
Where will the MANF qualified candidate get the Award Letter?
The UGC uploads the Award Letters on its website: www.ugcnetonline.in. The qualified candidates can download their Award Letters from there.
Can I be considered for MANF if I have not declared my minority status while applying for UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test?
The result of MANF is prepared on the basis of information provided by the candidate in his/her Online Applying Form for UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test. The candidate, therefore, must exercise utmost care while filling the online application form. No requests for alteration in category, community or any other material information are entertained at a later stage.
How many Fellowships can be availed by the candidate at a time?
A scholar is eligible to receive only one fellowship at a time.
What is the mode of selection?
Community-wise selection of scholars at the national level will be done on the basis of their pro-rata population. Merit list is prepared from amongst the candidates who had applied for JRF as well as Eligibility for Assistant Professor but who qualify for Eligibility for Assistant Professor only.
Whether any candidate who has already taken admission into M.Phil/Ph.D. programme can be given preference as per the selection criteria?
The candidates, who have already taken admission in M.Phil/Ph.D. will receive precedence over other candidates.
What is the duration of fellowship?
For M.Phil :- Maximum duration is 2 years or date of submission of dissertation, whichever is earlier. For Ph.D. : - Maximum duration is 5 years or date of submission of Ph.D. thesis, whichever is earlier (2 years for JRF and remaining 3 years for SRF). For M.Phil + Ph.D. :- Maximum duration is 5 years or date of submission of Ph.D. thesis, whichever is earlier (2 years for JRF and remaining 3 years for SRF).
What is the rate of fellowship?
JRF- Rs.31,000/- p.m. for initial two years SRF- Rs.35,000/- pm. for remaining tenure HRA and Contingency is also paid as per guidelines of scheme.
Ready to apply?
Visit the official government portal to apply for this scheme.
Apply on myScheme.gov.inDocuments Required
- Continuation Certificate every 3 months (for ongoing disbursement)
- Annual Progress Report (after 1 year of the fellowship)
- Contingency grant accounts statement
- HRA Certificate in the prescribed proforma (Annexure-V)
- UGC-NET or CSIR-UGC score card (at the application/award stage)