The ICAR Post Graduate Scholarship (PGS) pays Rs 12,640 a month plus a Rs 6,000 a year contingency to students doing a master’s degree in agriculture and allied sciences, for the entire duration of the degree. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research awards 600 of these fellowships every year on All India Entrance Examination merit. The 2026-27 National Scholarship Portal window closes on 31 October 2026.
The scheme is often confused with two neighbours: ICAR NTS, which is the talent scholarship for students studying outside their home state, and the ICAR JRF and SRF fellowships for PhD students, which pay a different rate. This page covers only the PG scholarship for master’s students, so the amount and the eligibility below belong to that scheme alone.
One thing to settle before anything else: there is no separate scholarship application or test. You become eligible by the route you take into your master’s programme, and then complete the portal formalities. The details below come from the ICAR scheme FAQ hosted on the National Scholarship Portal and from the ICAR fellowship guidelines.
ICAR PG Scholarship 2026-27 at a glance
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Agricultural Research and Education |
| Last date to apply | 31 October 2026 (student application on the National Scholarship Portal); institute verification 15 November 2026 |
| Official website | National Scholarship Portal, all schemes and 2026-27 closing dates (official) |
How much the ICAR PG Scholarship pays
The NSP scheme FAQ states the current rate: Rs 12,640 per month and Rs 6,000 per year as contingency, for the entire duration of the degree programme, subject to the minimum qualifying OGPA. That is about Rs 1,51,680 a year in monthly payments alone, plus the contingency grant.
A caveat worth knowing: the ICAR guidelines PDF still hosted on the portal is the 2016 revision letter, and it deliberately says the fellowship rates will be “as prescribed by the Council from time to time” without printing an amount. The FAQ carries the current figure, so budget with Rs 12,640 a month and not with any older number quoted on aggregator sites.
Who is eligible for the ICAR PG Scholarship
- You are admitted to a master’s degree programme in agriculture or an allied science at an agricultural university under the ICAR-AU system.
- The admission is through the All India Entrance Examination on an ICAR All India Quota (AIQ) seat. Students admitted through a state agricultural university’s own entrance test are not eligible.
- You have a bachelor’s degree in the concerned field, or are appearing in its final examination, from a 10+6, 10+2+5 or 10+2+4 stream.
- You meet the minimum age of 19 years as on the date of the entrance examination – there is no relaxation on this.
- For M.V.Sc. admission you must have completed B.V.Sc. & A.H. with internship before the date of registration.
The bachelor’s degree marks matter. The guidelines require 60 per cent marks or an OGPA of 6.60/10.00 (3.25/5.00 or 2.6/4.00) for general, OBC and Under Privileged States categories, and 55 per cent or an OGPA of 5.5/10.00 (2.75/5.00 or 2.20/4.00) for SC, ST and physically challenged candidates. Where a university awards only grades, the Registrar certifies the OGPA-to-percentage equivalence. Reservation for SC, ST, OBC and physically challenged candidates follows Government of India rules, and the concerned agricultural university verifies the certificates.
The ICAR-AU system for this fellowship covers the State Agricultural Universities, the deemed universities IARI (New Delhi), IVRI (Izatnagar), NDRI (Karnal), CIFE (Mumbai) and AAU (Allahabad), the Central Agricultural University (Imphal), and central universities with a faculty of agriculture – BHU, AMU, Visva Bharati and Nagaland University.
Keeping the scholarship: the OGPA rule
The fellowship is not paid for the full course automatically. ICAR continues it only on good conduct, punctuality and a minimum academic performance:
- OGPA of 6.60/10.00 (3.25/5.00 or 2.6/4.00) or 60 per cent marks for general, OBC and UPS categories.
- OGPA of 5.50/10.00 (2.75/5.00 or 2.20/4.00) or 55 per cent marks for SC, ST and physically challenged categories.
Documents and how to apply
Because the award follows the entrance examination, ICAR’s FAQ answers the application question directly: candidates admitted through the All India Entrance Examination under ICAR AIQ seats are automatically eligible and do not apply separately for the fellowship. What they must do is complete the National Scholarship Portal process, which is how the money is released.
- Register or log in on the National Scholarship Portal and select the ICAR Post Graduate Scholarship (PGS) scheme under the Department of Agriculture Research and Education.
- Enter your entrance examination and AIQ admission details exactly as they appear on your admission record, along with your bank account and Aadhaar details.
- Upload the award letter issued by ICAR, which the FAQ names as the document required on NSP for release of the scholarship.
- Submit before 31 October 2026 and have the university verify the application by 15 November 2026.
Important dates for 2026-27
| Portal opened for 2026-27 | 1 June 2026 |
| Last date for student application | 31 October 2026 |
| Defective application verification | 15 November 2026 |
| Institute verification | 15 November 2026 |
| DNO / SNO / MNO verification | 30 November 2026 |
ICAR runs several schemes on the same portal window, and the ICAR JRF and SRF fellowships for PhD students – Rs 37,000 a month in the first two years and Rs 42,000 in the third, with a Rs 10,000 a year contingency – are a separate entry with their own FAQ. Apply under the entry that matches the degree you are joining.
Frequently asked questions
Rs 12,640 per month, plus a contingency grant of Rs 6,000 per year, paid for the entire duration of the master’s degree programme subject to the minimum OGPA. The current rate is the one printed in the NSP scheme FAQ.
A maximum of 600 fellowships a year, awarded on merit in the All India Entrance Examination.
No. Candidates admitted through the All India Entrance Examination on ICAR All India Quota seats are automatically eligible. You still have to complete the National Scholarship Portal formalities and upload the ICAR award letter before the closing date.
No. Only admissions through the All India Entrance Examination on ICAR AIQ seats in agricultural universities under the ICAR-AU system qualify.
6.60 out of 10.00, or 60 per cent marks, for general, OBC and UPS categories; 5.50 out of 10.00, or 55 per cent, for SC, ST and physically challenged candidates.
No. The PG Scholarship pays Rs 12,640 a month to master’s students. The ICAR JRF and SRF fellowships are for PhD students and pay Rs 37,000 a month in the first two years and Rs 42,000 in the third. They are separate schemes with separate NSP entries.
31 October 2026 for the student application on the National Scholarship Portal, with institute verification due by 15 November 2026.
Official links: National Scholarship Portal – all schemes with 2026-27 closing dates, official ICAR PGS FAQ, ICAR fellowship guidelines PDF.
Browse more: Post Graduation Scholarships, National Scholarships, Fellowships.
Related reading: ICAR NTS-UG scholarship for agriculture students
UGC National Scholarship for Post Graduate Studies
CSIR-CCMB PhD programme with JRF