The ICAR JRF(PGS) and SRF(PGS) fellowship is the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s funding for a PhD in agriculture and allied sciences. It pays Rs 37,000 a month in the first and second year and Rs 42,000 a month in the third year, with Rs 10,000 a year for contingency. About 300 fellowships are awarded every year, and the 2026-27 National Scholarship Portal window closes on 31 October 2026.
Two things trip applicants up. First, there is no separate fellowship application or selection test – the award follows merit in the All India Entrance Examination and admission on an ICAR All India Quota seat, and the portal step is only how the money reaches you. Second, students admitted through a state agricultural university’s own entrance test are not eligible, no matter how good their grades are.
This page separates the PhD fellowship from the two schemes it is constantly confused with – the ICAR PG Scholarship for master’s students and the ICAR National Talent Scholarship – and lists the amounts, the OGPA bars you must hold every year, the documents and the portal dates. Every figure comes from the ICAR FAQ and the fellowship guidelines hosted on the National Scholarship Portal.
ICAR JRF and SRF for PhD 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; DNO/SNO/MNO verification 30 November 2026 |
| Official website | National Scholarship Portal, all schemes and 2026-27 closing dates (official) |
How much the fellowship pays
The NSP FAQ prints the current rates for ICAR JRF(PGS)/SRF(PGS) for PhD students: Rs 37,000 per month for the first and second year and Rs 42,000 per month for the third year, effective from 15 October 2024, with a contingency grant of Rs 10,000 per year. Over three years that is about Rs 13.92 lakh in monthly payments alone, before the contingency.
The guidelines PDF hosted next to the FAQ still carries the old formula – “as prescribed by the Council from time to time” without printing an amount – so budget from the FAQ figure and not from the number printed in any older circular or on an aggregator page.
Who is eligible
- You are admitted to a PhD 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 (AIEE) on an ICAR All India Quota (AIQ) seat. State-entrance admissions are excluded.
- You have a master’s degree with the minimum grade in the table below, from a recognised university in India or abroad.
- Where a university awards only marks and no grade points, you need at least 60 per cent for general and OBC and 50 per cent for SC, ST and physically challenged candidates. An OGPA-to-percentage equivalence is not accepted in that case.
| General and OBC candidates | OGPA 6.50/10.00, 3.25/5.00 or 2.60/4.00, or 60 per cent marks |
| SC, ST and physically challenged candidates | OGPA 5.50/10.00, 2.75/5.00 or 2.20/4.00, or 50 per cent marks |
Tenure: three years, no extension
ICAR SRF(PGS) runs for three years and the guidelines are blunt about it: “in no case it will be extended beyond the period of three years”. Plan your thesis timeline against that, because the third-year rate of Rs 42,000 is the last payment the fellowship makes.
Keeping the fellowship: the continuation rule
The award is not automatic for the whole degree. Continuation depends on holding the same OGPA bar every year – 6.50/10.00 (3.25/5.00 or 2.60/4.00) or 60 per cent for general and OBC candidates, and 5.50/10.00 (2.75/5.00 or 2.20/4.00) or 50 per cent for SC, ST and physically challenged candidates. Fall below it and the fellowship stops.
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. The portal process is what releases the money:
- Register or log in on the National Scholarship Portal and select the ICAR JRF/SRF (PGS) for PhD scheme under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
- Enter your AIEE roll number, AIQ admission details and master’s OGPA exactly as they appear on your admission record.
- Upload the award letter issued by ICAR – the FAQ names it as the document NSP needs for release of the scholarship – along with your Aadhaar-seeded bank details.
- Submit before 31 October 2026 and have your university verify the application by 15 November 2026.
ICAR JRF/SRF vs ICAR PG Scholarship vs ICAR NTS
Three ICAR schemes sit on the same portal and get mixed up constantly:
- ICAR JRF(PGS)/SRF(PGS) – this page. PhD students, Rs 37,000 a month for two years and Rs 42,000 in the third, 300 fellowships a year.
- ICAR PG Scholarship (PGS) – master’s students, Rs 12,640 a month plus Rs 6,000 a year contingency, 600 fellowships a year.
- ICAR National Talent Scholarship – a merit award for UG and PG students who take admission outside their home state; the UG rate is Rs 3,000 a month.
All three close on the same NSP date, so a candidate who is eligible for more than one should read the eligibility of each before filing.
Important dates 2026-27
| Portal opened for applications | 1 June 2026 |
| Last date for students to apply | 31 October 2026 |
| Defective application correction | 15 November 2026 |
| Institute verification | 15 November 2026 |
| DNO / SNO / MNO verification | 30 November 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
The student application on the National Scholarship Portal closes on 31 October 2026. Institute verification closes on 15 November 2026 and the DNO, SNO and MNO verification closes on 30 November 2026.
Rs 37,000 per month in the first and second year and Rs 42,000 per month in the third year, with effect from 15 October 2024, plus a contingency grant of Rs 10,000 per year.
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 process and upload the ICAR award letter so the money is released.
No. Only students admitted through the All India Entrance Examination on ICAR AIQ seats in agricultural universities under the ICAR-AU system are eligible. Admission through a state agricultural university’s own entrance test does not qualify.
ICAR SRF(PGS) runs for three years and the guidelines state it will not be extended beyond that period under any circumstances.
6.50/10.00 (or 3.25/5.00 or 2.60/4.00) or 60 per cent marks for general and OBC candidates, and 5.50/10.00 (or 2.75/5.00 or 2.20/4.00) or 50 per cent marks for SC, ST and physically challenged candidates.
Official links
Official ICAR JRF/SRF FAQ for PhD students, ICAR JRF, SRF and PG scholarship guidelines PDF, National Scholarship Portal scheme list with 2026-27 closing dates.
Browse more: Post Graduation Scholarships, Fellowships, National Scholarships.
Related reading: ICAR PG Scholarship for master’s students
ICAR NTS-UG scholarship for agriculture students
CSIR-CCMB PhD programme with JRF