NEC Merit Scholarship 2025 – Submit Online Application

NEC Merit Scholarship 2025 – Online Apply

NEC Merit Scholarship provides ₹20k–₹30k/year to meritorious students from Northeastern India pursuing higher studies. It’s awarded purely on academic merit, with clear deadlines: apply between 2 June and 31 October 2025 via NSP, and renew annually with good academic performance. If you’d like help with NSP login, document uploads, or tracking your application, just let me know—I’d be happy to assist!

Overview of NEC Merit Scholarship

• Name: NEC Merit Scholarship
• Academic Year: 2025–26
• Total Scholarships: 1,600 across the eight North-Eastern states
• Administered by: North Eastern Council, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Shillong

NEC Merit Scholarship Amount (Annual)

• Diploma ₹20,000 (per annum)
• Degree ₹22,000 (per annum)
• Postgraduate ₹25,000 (per annum)
• M.Phil. / Ph.D. ₹30,000 (per annum)

Eligible States (NER)

• Students who are domiciles of the following North Eastern States are eligible:
• Arunachal Pradesh
• Assam
• Manipur
• Meghalaya
• Mizoram
• Nagaland
• Sikkim
• Tripura

Domicile Requirement

• Applicant must be a permanent resident of any of the North Eastern states:
• Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, or Tripura.

Duration of Scholarship

• The scholarship is awarded only for the prescribed duration of the selected course.
• No extension beyond the normal course duration will be granted.
• Renewal is subject to academic performance and fulfilling renewal criteria (as per Para 6 of the official rules).

No Double Scholarship Rule

• At the time of availing the NEC scholarship, a student must not be receiving any other scholarship or financial assistance from any other source (central/state/private).
• Sponsored candidates in full employment or in-service candidates are not eligible.

Year of Award

• The applicant must apply in the year of commencement of the course.
• From the 2nd year onward, only renewal applications will be entertained.

Eligible Courses

• The scholarship is available for students admitted to:
• Diploma courses
• Undergraduate degree courses
• Postgraduate courses
• M.Phil. and Ph.D. programs (after formal registration with university)
• Note: Internships and practical training periods are not eligible for funding.

Family Income

• The annual family income from all sources must not exceed ₹8.00 lakh.
• An income certificate issued by a competent authority must be submitted.

Educational Qualification (as per Course Level)

• Diploma : Passed HSLC / HSSLC / SSLC / Sr. Secondary from recognized board with ≥60% marks.
• Undergraduate : Passed HSSLC / Sr. Secondary from recognized board with ≥60% marks.
• Postgraduate : Passed Bachelor’s Degree (BA/BSc/BTech/MBBS/etc.) from recognized university with ≥60% marks.
• M.Phil. / Ph.D. : Passed Postgraduate Degree from recognized university with ≥60% marks.

Summary Table

• Domicile : Permanent resident of NE state
• Other Scholarship Not allowed
• Sponsored/Working Not eligible
• Income Limit ₹8.0 lakh annually
• Course Level Diploma, UG, PG, M.Phil., Ph.D
• Minimum Marks 60% in qualifying exam
• Application Timing Must apply in 1st year of course

Merit List from Verified Applications

• The merit list will be prepared only from applications that are finally verified (both at institute and district/state levels) as per NSP guidelines.
• Final selection will follow the laid-down norms and processes specified in the scholarship scheme.

Criteria for M.Phil. and Ph.D. Students

• Selection will be based on the research topic/synopsis.
• The topic must be directly and specifically related to issues/problems of the North Eastern Region.
• Basic or purely theoretical research will generally not be preferred.
• Preference is given to projects with current and practical relevance to NE India.

Merit-Based Selection

• The scholarship is awarded strictly on merit basis.
• Merit will be determined exclusively by marks obtained in the qualifying examination.
• Merit lists will also take into account the course level-wise and state-wise slot allocations.

Total Fresh Scholarships (All NER States Combined)

• Total: 1,600 scholarships
• Diploma: 150
• Degree: 1,000
• Postgraduate: 400
• M.Phil./Ph.D.: 50

Mandatory Documents

• Permanent Residential Certificate (PRC)
• Issued by:
• Deputy Commissioner / Additional Dy. Commissioner / Sub-divisional Officer (Civil) in the applicant’s NE state.
• For Sikkim, a Certificate of Identification (COI) issued by the respective Deputy Commissioner is acceptable.
• Certificates issued by any other authority will not be accepted.

Income Certificate

• Issued by a Competent Authority (as defined by the state government).
• Must certify that annual family income does not exceed ₹8 lakh.

Details of Qualifying Examination

• Marksheet/certificate showing minimum 60% marks in the relevant qualifying examination.
• Required for:
• Diploma: HSLC/HSSLC/Equivalent
• Degree: HSSLC/Equivalent
• PG: UG Degree
• M.Phil/Ph.D.: PG Degree

Research Synopsis (Only for M.Phil./Ph.D. applicants)

• Must be signed by the project guide, Director (Research), or authorized official of the university/institute.
• Topic must be relevant to the North Eastern Region (NER).

Optional Documents

• Bank Account Passbook
• Account must be in the name of the applicant.
• Ensure the account is Aadhaar-linked and active for DBT transfers.
• Though optional during submission, it is often required during verification.

Other Documents (if applicable)

• Any other document as may be required under NSP guidelines, such as:
• Aadhaar card (for identity verification)
• Recent passport-sized photograph
• Institution verification form
• Bonafide certificate from the institute

Interested and eligible students may apply online through the following steps:

• Scroll down to the “Important Web Links” section.
• Click on the “One-Time Registration” link.
• A new webpage will open. Register using your basic details (such as Aadhaar number, mobile number, email, etc.).
• After registration, go back to the homepage and click on “Login to Apply” under the relevant academic year.
• Fill in the Online Application Form completely.
• Upload all required documents (mark sheet, income certificate, caste certificate, etc.).
• Click on “Submit” and take a printout of the submitted application form for future reference.

• Starting date of submission of online application: 2nd June 2025
• Last date of submission of online application: 31st October 2025
• Last date of Defective Verification: 15th November 2025
• Last date of Institute Level Verification: 15th November 2025

Ishan Uday Scholarship 2025 – Special UGC Scheme for NER Students Click here