ICAR NTS-PG Scholarship 2026-27: Rs 5,000/Month, 31 Oct

The ICAR National Talent Scholarship for Post Graduate students (NTS-PG) pays Rs 5,000 a month for the whole master’s degree – roughly Rs 60,000 a year – to students who get into an agricultural university through the All India Entrance Examination (AIEE) under ICAR’s All India Quota and study outside their home state. The 2026-27 application on the National Scholarship Portal closes on 31 October 2026.

NTS-PG is the post-graduate arm of the same ICAR talent scholarship that pays Rs 3,000 a month to undergraduates. The condition that decides almost every rejection is the non-domicile rule: an ICAR All India Quota seat in a state other than your own. If you took admission through your state’s own entrance test, or through ICAR’s state quota, this scholarship does not apply to you – ICAR’s FAQ says so in one line.

Below are the verified amounts, the exact eligibility test, the CGPA you must hold to keep the money, the documents NSP asks for, and the 2026-27 portal dates from ICAR’s own FAQ and guideline documents.

ICAR NTS-PG scholarship 2026-27 pays Rs 5,000 a month for the full master's degree, last date 31 October 2026

Table of Contents

ICAR NTS-PG at a glance

Quick facts2026-27

Scholarship from	Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Government of India
Last date to apply	31 October 2026 (student application on the National Scholarship Portal); defective application and institute verification 15 November 2026; DNO/SNO/MNO verification 30 November 2026
Official website	National Scholarship Portal – ICAR NTS-PG window and 2026-27 closing dates (official)

Go to official website

What the scholarship pays

Rs 5,000 per month for the entire duration of the master’s degree, subject to the minimum qualifying CGPA. ICAR’s current FAQ on the National Scholarship Portal states this rate.
There is no contingency grant and no book grant under NTS – the guideline is explicit that only the monthly scholarship is paid.
Payment is not made to you directly by ICAR. The Council releases the amount to your college or university, which then pays it into your bank account through Direct Benefit Transfer (Aadhaar-linked account).
ICAR releases the money to the institute 12 months in advance in one lump sum; the institute then pays you month by month at the end of each month.
The scholarship starts from the month you actually join the college and continues to the end of the degree programme – it is not a one-year award that you must re-win each year, though it is renewed each year against your academic record.

One honest flag on the rate. The guideline document linked on NSP is the 2016 revision, and it still prints Rs 3,000 per month for post-graduate students (Rs 2,000 for undergraduates). ICAR’s current FAQ – the document NSP attaches to this scheme for the 2026-27 cycle – states Rs 5,000 per month for NTS-PG. The FAQ is the current figure; the older printed rate in the guideline has not been updated.

Who is eligible – the non-domicile rule

ICAR’s FAQ answers the eligibility question in a single sentence: securing admission in a post graduate programme in any non-domicile state. In practice that means all of the following must be true.

You are admitted to a master’s degree programme – NTS-PG does not cover diploma, certificate or PhD programmes (ICAR runs a separate JRF/SRF(PGS) fellowship for PhD).
The admission is through the All India Entrance Examination (AIEE) conducted by ICAR, under an ICAR All India Quota (AIQ) seat.
The agricultural university is located outside your state of domicile. A non-domicile seat in your own state does not qualify.
You study full time and do not take up any job, even part time.
You do not hold any other scholarship during the course.

Who is not eligible

Students admitted through a state agricultural university’s own entrance test – ICAR’s FAQ answers this with a plain ‘No’. The AIEE under ICAR AIQ seats in the agricultural universities of the ICAR-AU system is the only route.
Students who take admission in their own state, even through AIEE – the non-domicile condition fails.
Students who later change the discipline or the university – no scholarship is paid after a change of discipline or university.
Anyone receiving another scholarship or financial assistance for the same study.

Continuation rules: the CGPA that keeps the money

OGPA/CGPA of at least 7.00 out of 10.00, or 6.50 out of 10.00 for SC/ST students, at the end of each year.
No relaxation is allowed if the CGPA falls below that bar at the end of the first year – the scholarship is discontinued.
You must clear all papers in every semester. Failing any paper at any stage stops the scholarship immediately.
Good conduct and punctuality, certified by the head of the college or university.
No absence without prior permission, and no participation in agitations or strikes – no scholarship is paid for a strike period.
The scholarship terminates the day you cease to be on the rolls, if you are dropped, or if the sanction expires.

How to apply – there is no separate NTS-PG form

This is the part most students get wrong. ICAR’s FAQ states plainly that candidates admitted through AIEE under ICAR AIQ seats are automatically eligible – there is no separate scholarship application and no selection test for the scholarship itself.

Take admission in a master’s programme through AIEE on an ICAR AIQ seat in a university outside your domicile state.
Get the award letter issued by ICAR – this is the document the National Scholarship Portal asks for when the scholarship is released.
Register and submit the ICAR NTS-PG application on scholarships.gov.in before 31 October 2026.
Your institute verifies the application on the portal by 15 November 2026 – the institute cannot charge a fee for verification.
The state and ministry level verification (DNO/SNO/MNO) closes on 30 November 2026, after which the scholarship is released through the institute.

Important dates for 2026-27

1 June 2026 – NSP opened for the 2026-27 cycle.
31 October 2026 – last date for the student application.
15 November 2026 – last date to correct a defective application and for institute verification.
30 November 2026 – DNO, SNO and MNO verification closes.

Missing the student deadline cannot be fixed later: applications submitted after the cut-off date and time are not considered.

Documents you need

Award letter issued by ICAR confirming the NTS-PG award – the document ICAR’s FAQ names for release of the scholarship.
Aadhaar-linked bank account in your own name (DBT is mandatory; payments go to the student’s account, never to ICAR’s).
Admission proof for the master’s programme, showing the AIEE rank and the ICAR AIQ seat.
Domicile or permanent residence certificate, to establish that the university is outside your home state.
Caste certificate for SC/ST applicants claiming the 6.50 CGPA relaxation.
Bank passbook copy and the institute’s bonafide certificate, as NSP requires for every scholarship application.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date for ICAR NTS-PG 2026-27?

The student application on the National Scholarship Portal closes on 31 October 2026. Defective applications can be corrected and institutes can verify until 15 November 2026, and DNO, SNO and MNO verification closes on 30 November 2026.

How much does ICAR NTS-PG pay per month?

Rs 5,000 per month for the entire duration of the master’s degree, subject to the minimum qualifying CGPA, according to ICAR’s current FAQ on the National Scholarship Portal. There is no contingency grant. The older 2016 guideline linked on the portal still prints Rs 3,000 per month and has not been updated.

Can I get ICAR NTS-PG if I got admission through my state entrance test?

No. Only admissions through the All India Entrance Examination (AIEE) under ICAR All India Quota seats in the agricultural universities of the ICAR-AU system qualify. State entrance test admissions are not eligible.

Do I need to apply separately for ICAR NTS-PG?

No. Candidates admitted through AIEE under ICAR AIQ seats are automatically eligible. What you must upload on the National Scholarship Portal is the award letter issued by ICAR.

What CGPA do I need to keep the ICAR NTS-PG scholarship?

An OGPA or CGPA of at least 7.00 out of 10.00, or 6.50 out of 10.00 for SC/ST students, plus all papers cleared in every semester. If the CGPA falls below the bar at the end of the first year the scholarship is discontinued and no relaxation is given.

How many ICAR NTS-PG scholarships are awarded each year?

ICAR does not publish a fixed number for NTS-PG. Its FAQ says all candidates who satisfy the non-domicile condition in their admission are eligible, and no slot count is printed in the scheme documents.

Is ICAR NTS-PG paid to me or to my college?

ICAR releases the scholarship to your college or university in one lump sum for 12 months, and the institute pays you monthly through Direct Benefit Transfer into your Aadhaar-linked bank account. ICAR does not pay students directly.

Official links

More options for agriculture and post-graduate students are listed on our national scholarship, post-graduation scholarship and graduation scholarship pages.

ICAR NTS-PG Scholarship 2026-27: Rs 5,000 a Month for Master’s