AYUSH Scholarship Scheme for South East Asian Region (SEAR) Countries

The AYUSH Scholarship Scheme for South East Asian Region (SEAR) Countries sends students from ten countries into India’s traditional-medicine degrees. Twenty-nine scholarships are offered each year, shared across Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.

The Indian Council for Cultural Relations runs the scheme as agency work for India’s Ministry of AYUSH. Scholars take degrees in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homoeopathy or Yoga at Indian universities, institutes and colleges, from bachelor’s level through to a PhD.

Everything moves through ICCR’s A2A scholarship portal on a single annual cycle. Applicants file through the Indian Mission covering their country, and the Indian institution — not ICCR — decides whether to admit them.

Benefits & funding

Tuition and the compulsory course fees are paid as per actual cost.
Monthly stipend at ICCR’s published AYUSH rates: INR 18,000 for undergraduate study; INR 35,500 in year one of an MD and INR 38,000 in years two and three; INR 43,500 for PhD scholars.
House rent allowance of up to INR 6,500 a month, paid against actuals.
Annual contingent grant of INR 4,500 for undergraduate and yoga diploma study, and INR 12,000 for MD, MS and PhD scholars.
Thesis and project support: INR 10,000 towards a PhD thesis, INR 7,000 towards an MD or MS project submission.
One economy-class return air ticket: to India on admission, and home after the course ends.
Three months of stipend are released on arrival; scholars then open a State Bank of India account within a month for the payments that follow.

Eligibility

Open to nationals of Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea, Myanmar and Timor-Leste.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old.
The undergraduate medicine tracks (BAMS, BSMS, BUMS, BHMS, each five and a half years) require 12 years of schooling with physics, chemistry and biology; the three-year yoga degrees (B.Sc. Yoga, B.A. Yoga Shastra) require 12 years of schooling in any stream.
MD applicants need a relevant bachelor’s degree recognised by the Central Council of Indian Medicine or the Council of Homoeopathy; M.Sc. Yoga takes any graduate; PhD in Ayurveda requires an MD in Ayurveda recognised by CCIM, while PhD in Unani requires an MD in Unani recognised by CCIM.
Applicants must be medically fit and have enough English to follow the course.
Applications are handled by the Indian Mission covering the applicant’s country, and the Indian institution assesses admission on its own criteria.

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Here's who can apply

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Eligible nationalities
Indonesia · Thailand · Nepal · Bangladesh · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Maldives · North Korea · Myanmar · Timor-Leste
Education required
High School · Bachelor · Master
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs

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Application process

1
Confirm on the A2A scheme list that the SEAR AYUSH scheme covers your nationality and your intended subject.
2
Register on the A2A portal for the academic year; applicants from Bangladesh must register on the Suborno Jayanti portal first.
3
Complete the online application under the AYUSH category for your level (UG, PG or PhD) and rank up to three institution and course preferences.
4
Upload certified copies of every document with English translations, and make sure the details you type match the documents exactly.
5
Submit the application online through the A2A portal; hard-copy and postal applications are not accepted.
6
The Indian institution assesses admission; ICCR awards the scholarship only after an institution confirms it.
7
On selection, complete visa and medical formalities, carry your original English documents for university verification, register with the Foreign Regional Registration Office within two weeks of arrival and obtain a residential permit within 90 days.

Program timeline

8 June 2025
closing date for the 2025–26 AYUSH round.
31 May 2026
extended last date for 2026–27 AYUSH applications on the A2A portal; ICCR noted that its other scholarship schemes had already closed.
Early 2027 (expected)
the 2027–28 cycle opens on the A2A portal, with the AYUSH closing date expected around May 2027.