Maulana Azad National Fellowship 2026: Financial Assistance for Minority Students' Higher Studies
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This scheme is closed for applications.
Quick answer
The Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) provides financial assistance to minority students for pursuing M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees. Eligible candidates must belong to notified minority communities and qualify through UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET. Applications are made online via the UGC-NET or CSIR-UGC portals.
At a glance
| Main benefit | Monthly fellowship of ₹31,000 for JRF and ₹35,000 for SRF, plus annual contingency and reader assistance for handicapped candidates |
| Ministry / department | Ministry Of Minority Affairs |
| Level | Central Government |
| Application mode | Online |
| Last date | 31 Mar 2023 |
About the scheme
The Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) provides financial assistance to minority students for pursuing M.Phil and Ph.D. degrees. Eligible candidates must belong to notified minority communities and qualify through UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET. Applications are made online via the UGC-NET or CSIR-UGC portals.
Benefits
- Fellowship in Science, Humanities and Social Science: ₹31,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF), and ₹35,000/- p.m. for remaining tenure (SRF)
- Fellowship in Engineering & Technology: ₹31,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF), and ₹35,000/- p.m. for remaining tenure (SRF)
- Contingency for Humanities & Social Sciences: ₹10,000/- p.a. for initial two years, and ₹20,500/- p.a. for remaining tenure
- Contingency for Sciences, Engineering & Technology: ₹12,000/- p.a. for initial two years, and ₹25,000/- p.a. for remaining tenure
- Escorts/Reader assistance (All subjects): ₹2,000/- p.m. in cases of physically and visually handicapped candidate
Who can apply (eligibility)
- The applicant should be a part of one of the minority communities (Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, or Zoroastrian (Parsi)).
- Applicant must qualify the UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination.
- If applicant does not complete his/her research work during the period of fellowship shall not be eligible to apply again under this scheme.
- If applicant completely or partially availed any fellowship earlier shall also not be eligible for fellowship under this scheme.
- Employees of any university, college, educational institution, or central, state, or union territory government are not eligible for fellowships, even if they are on study leave or end of life (EOL) leave to pursue an M.Phil. or Ph.D. course
Who cannot apply
- Only 2 students per family are allowed to take benefit of this scheme.
- Employees of any University/ College/ Educational Institutional/ Central/ State/ UT Government shall be excluded from availing fellowship, even if they are on Study Leave or EOL to pursue the M.Phil./Ph.D. course
How to apply
- 1Apply for the UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination, ensuring you apply for both Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and Eligibility for Assistant Professor.
- 2Visit the official UGC-NET portal at https://nta.ac.in/ or the CSIR-UGC portal at https://csirhrdg.res.in/ to submit your application.
- 3After qualifying, download your Award Letter from the UGC website at www.ugcnetonline.in.
- 4If you have already taken admission in M.Phil/Ph.D., the validity of the offer is three months from the date of the Award Letter. Otherwise, you must join M.Phil/Ph.D within three years.
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/- p.m. for remaining tenure, HRA and Contingency is also paid as per guidelines of scheme.
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