Ishan Uday Scholarship: Empowering Higher Education in the North Eastern Region

The "Ishan Uday" Special Scholarship Scheme for the North Eastern Region (NER) is an initiative by the Ministry of Education and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Launched from the academic session 2014-15, the scheme focuses on increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and supporting professional education in the region. The Ishan Uday Scholarship Scheme was launched by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education for the academic year 2014-15. The scheme was launched with an aim to provide equal opportunities for students from the Northeast Region to pursue higher education, consequently increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the area.

Background and Objectives

Before 2014, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) was significantly lower in the Northeastern States than the national average. A cumulation of various factors, including financial barriers, geographical isolation, and agriculture-dominated societies, prevented students from pursuing higher education. Furthermore, the scheme aimed to provide an impetus for the students to pursue technical courses, as it was observed that the majority of the students from NER were enrolled in general courses. With an intent to reduce the economic burdens upon students, the scheme was envisioned to balance educational development in the NER to ensure regional equity. Gender inequalities in terms of attaining higher education in the NER were also rampant and a cause of concern, with a general imbalance in the literacy rates between males and females.

“Ishan Uday,” which translates to “Rise of the Northeast,” symbolizes the government’s vision of empowering the region through education. The policy rationale behind the scheme also aligns with the broader goals of the National Education Policy (2020), which promotes regional equity, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Key Features and Eligibility Criteria

Under the Ishan Uday scholarship scheme, a total of 10,000 fresh scholarships are disbursed every year among NER students who are pursuing general degree courses, technical and professional courses, including medical and paramedical courses. The scholarship maintains a slot count of 10000 each year. Allocation of slots for each state is done based on the population as per the latest census report of the respective state. The scheme is designed to encourage students from the NER, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, to pursue higher education. The primary focus is on professional education, including courses in medical, engineering, and paramedical fields.

To be eligible for the Ishan Uday Scholarship, applicants must:

Be a permanent resident of one of the eight NER states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura with a valid domicile certificate. Applicants must be a domicile of NER(North Eastern Region). This scholarship is applicable to north eastern states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
Have passed Class 12th or equivalent in the preceding year of study for applications called for the present year. Have passed Class 12 or equivalent in the academic year prior to application.
Have secured admission in the first year of any degree course, which includes: General degree courses Technical and professional courses (including medical and paramedical courses) Have secured admission in the first year of a full-time general or professional degree course in a recognized institution. Only the students, who are already admitted in the first year of UG degree programme in an eligible university/college/institution within India, are eligible to apply. In other words, a student who has secured admission in UG programme in the academic year 2020-21 will be eligible for selection in the year 2020-21 only.
The parental annual income of the applicant should not exceed ₹4,50,000 per annum from all sources. Family income must not exceed ₹4.5 lakh per annum. The annual parental income of the eligible candidates should not exceed Rs 4.5 lakhs.
The scholarship is also open to transgender students, with reservations per government guidelines. Transgender candidates are also eligible. All reservations will be provided in accordance with Government of India norms. This is exclusively available to both the genders. This is exclusively available for all categories.

The admission should be made to a University/Institution/College with the AISHE code.

The scholarship will be available for pursuing UG degree programme in the following types of institutions only:

Universities/Colleges/Institutes included under section 2(f) of UGC Act, 1956 and having valid accreditation from NAAC. Universities/Institutions/Colleges included under Section 2(f) and 12 (B) of UGC Act.
Deemed to be Universities under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956 and having valid accreditation from NAAC. Deemed to be Universities included under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 and eligible to receive grants-in-aid from UGC.
Institutes of National Importance. Universities/Institutions/Colleges funded by the Central/State Government.
Institutions recognized by other Statutory councils within as well as outside.

Students, who have already acquired any degree, are not eligible to apply. However, students enrolled in open universities, management quota admissions, or non-degree diploma courses, or those already availing other scholarships, are not eligible for this scheme.

The scholarship is available for students who are admitted in UG degree programme through ‘Regular/Full Time’ mode only. In case of ‘integrated’ and ‘dual degree’ programmes, the scholarship will be payable for the UG component only.

Scholarship Amount and Benefits

Selected students receive financial assistance to support their education. The scholarship amount is as follows:

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Rs 5,400 per month for students enrolled in general degree programs. Financial Support: ₹5,400/- per month for general degree courses
Rs 7,800 per month for students in technical, professional, medical, or paramedical courses. Financial Support: ₹7,800/- per month for technical/medical/professional/paramedical courses.

Scholarships are directly credited to the beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The scholarship amount is directly transferred to the student’s bank account through DBT. Payment Mode: Scholarship disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to beneficiaries' bank accounts as certified by the institution.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted once a year through the official National Scholarship Portal (NSP). One needs to follow below mentioned steps to apply online for this scholarship.

Go to the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) and complete One-Time Registration (OTR) using Aadhaar or bank details. Go to the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in)
Scroll down, go to Important Web Links section.
Click on One-Time Registration link .
A new webpage will be opened.
Enter your details as required in the portal; and register yourself.
After successful registration, Click on Online Application Form and Login.
Log in and select “UGC Ishan Uday Scholarship” from the list of schemes.
Enter all credentials and upload your documents as required in the portal.
Upload required documents: domicile certificate, Class 12 marksheet, family income proof, admission proof, and bank passbook. Prepare the necessary documents as specified in the application requirements. Upload these documents in the designated sections of the application form.
Finally click on "Submit" and take print out of your submitted application. Review, submit, and save or print your completed application for record.
Read carefully all the information about the program details.
Click on the "Register" to complete the registration with required details.
After successful registration, Use the received credentials to log into your account.
Once logged in, Click on the "Apply" button.
You will be directed to the application form. Fill in all the required details accurately.
Before submitting, review all the information you have provided.
After that, Click on the "Submit” button to submit your application.

One Time Registration (OTR) is a unique 14-digit number issued based on the Aadhaar/Aadhaar Enrollment ID (EID) and is applicable for the entire academic career of the student. OTR simplifies the scholarship application process, thereby eliminating the need of registration in each academic year. OTR is required to apply for scholarship on National Scholarship Portal.

Documents Required

Applicants need to provide the following documents during the application process:

ID Proof
Domicile certificate: Applicants must be a domicile of NER(North Eastern Region).
Proof of income certificate

For renewals, the annual progress report and continuation of studies will be required to be uploaded/ verified by the concerned University/ Institution/ College.

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Important Dates

Applications are accepted once a year through the official National Scholarship Portal.

Application opens: Around 25 June 2025
Last date for application: 31 October 2025. No. The last date for online application of Ishan Uday Scholarship is 31st October 2025.
Last date for defective correction & institute verification: 15 November 2025

Renewal and Other Conditions

Scholarships are renewable annually based on academic performance and attendance. Scholarships will be directly credited to the beneficiaries via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and are renewable annually based on academic performance and attendance. If a student is unable to progress to the next year due to academic failure, the scholarship will be withheld. Non-Promotion: If a student is unable to progress to the next year due to academic failure, the scholarship will be withheld.

No transfer of scholarship to another college or course is permitted. No. There is no provision for transfer of scholarship. Can you change institutions? No-transfer of scholarship to another college or course is not permitted.

Impact and Performance

The Ishan Uday Scholarship has been able to positively impact students towards academic excellence. Research found that the scholarship has motivated the students to enrol in higher education and make their studies a priority. Furthermore, it has also aided in better academic performance among the scholarship holders, reducing financial stress and constraints. It is evident that the scholarship, through its consistent efforts and funding, has been able to change the educational landscape of NER to some extent.

Indicators suggest that the scheme has shown robust allocations and rising expenditure across financial years. The annual expenditure stood at Rs 74.74 crore in 2015-16, Rs 88.98 crore in 2016-17, Rs 61.10 crore in 2017-18, Rs 151.74 crore in 2020-21, suggesting a constant investment by the government for the upliftment of the Northeastern States. At the same time, geographical disparities are pertinent with larger states like Assam dominating the distribution, while smaller states like Mizoram and Sikkim receiving only a few hundred awards. Assam alone recorded 7482 fresh scholarships in the year 2016-17. Recent announcements indicate a slight increase in the amounts allocated.

Overall, the performance of the scheme has shown consistent and positive performance since its inception. Although regional disparities exist, the scheme has provided an impetus to pursue higher education among the regional youth. According to a report by the Press Information Bureau, by September 2018, around 68,207 students (fresh and renewal) had benefited with a total of about Rs 309.95 crore disbursed since inception.

An amount of Rs 109.84 crore has been disbursed to 13201 beneficiaries in 2023. Furthermore, in terms of scale and outreach, although the target of 10,000 scholarships has remained constant, the actual numbers have fluctuated.

Challenges and the Way Forward

However, research findings suggest that there are differences among the north-eastern states in the case of the CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rates) of the beneficiaries, which is contrary to its principle of equal access and opportunity for all. Moreover, a comparison between the scholarship beneficiaries and non-scholarship beneficiaries suggests that the scholarship does not have a massive impact on academic development. It was also found through recent studies that the scheme has not been able to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the Northeastern Region. Thereafter, a huge sum of scholarship money availed is being used for non-academic purposes, for example, in supporting the family economically and financially.

Government funding to aid educational development in NER in recent years has increased through various schemes and projects. The increase in the GER is the prime objective of the policy initiatives of public spending. Therefore, it is important that large sections of students avail the scholarship opportunities, which can be facilitated through mass awareness.

Firstly, it is essential that the UGC and Ministry of Education publish annual data on scholarship disbursement, including year-wise and state-wise figures on fresh and renewal awards, gender distribution and expenditure. Moreover, timely and direct disbursement of funds should be a priority. Irregular payment mechanisms and delays discourage students from enrolling in higher education. Policy initiatives and mechanisms should place importance on strengthening Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) systems through Aadhaar verification. It also becomes essential to increase the scholarship amount periodically to meet the increasing demands in education.

In a nutshell, the way forward for the Ishan Uday Scholarship lies in data- driven evaluation, timely implementation, enhanced outreach, and greater linkage with skill and employment initiatives.

Conclusion

The Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme is a valuable initiative supporting students from the North Eastern Region in pursuing higher education. By providing 10,000 scholarships annually, the scheme helps boost higher education in a region that is often underserved in terms of academic opportunities. The Ishan Uday Scheme is a valuable initiative that supports students from the North Eastern Region in pursuing higher education. Being a centrally funded scheme and implemented through UGC, it is part of broader initiatives for NER alongside others like the Ishan Vikas Scheme (for School Children) to strengthen higher education access.

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