Nehru Memorial Scholarship Scheme for Sri Lankan nationals

Benefits & funding

• Full tuition and the institution’s compulsory charges for the whole prescribed duration of the course.
• Monthly stipend under ICCR’s 2026-27 rules: INR 18,000 for undergraduate study, INR 20,000 for master’s study, INR 22,000 for PhD study.
• Monthly house rent allowance of INR 6,500 in Grade I cities and INR 5,500 in other cities; the Sri Lanka notices state that selected candidates are given a hostel place on campus.
• Annual contingent allowance for books and stationery: INR 5,000 undergraduate, INR 7,000 master’s, INR 12,500 PhD.
• One-time thesis or dissertation grant: INR 7,000 at undergraduate and master’s level where the course requires a project report, INR 10,000 for PhD.
• Air fare to the nearest destination in India, an annual grant for educational tours inside India, and the ticket home on successful completion of the course.
• Medical costs are not covered. A health insurance policy of at least INR 500,000, bought by the student, is a precondition for receiving any allowance.
• Allowances begin only after joining formalities and an Indian bank account are complete, which takes about two to three months. ICCR advises arriving with roughly USD 1,500 of your own money for settling in.

Eligibility

• Sri Lankan citizenship is required.
• Age 18 to 40 as at 16 March 2026 under the Sri Lanka Ministry notices. ICCR’s own 2026-27 rules set 18 as the minimum for every level, 35 as the maximum for undergraduate and master’s courses and 40 for PhD, so confirm the limit that applies to your level with the Ministry before applying.
• Undergraduate applicants need at least three passes in the relevant stream at the 2024 G.C.E. Advanced Level examination. Physics, chemistry and mathematics at A/L are compulsory for engineering courses.
• Undergraduate applicants also need a “C” pass in English at G.C.E. Ordinary Level and an “S” pass at Advanced Level, or the equivalent.
• PhD applicants need a bachelor’s degree with a class plus a master’s degree in the relevant field, from a university recognised by Sri Lanka’s University Grants Commission.
• Master’s applicants need a bachelor’s degree in the relevant field from a recognised university; the scheme carried 20 master’s places in the 2025/26 round.
• Undergraduate applicants must not already be registered as internal students in a basic degree programme at a Sri Lankan state university.
• Permanent government, university or state corporation employees must route the application through the head of their institution.
• A passport is mandatory before the ICCR portal step, with at least two years of validity as at 1 July 2026.
• ICCR provides no admission in medicine, paramedical subjects such as nursing or physiotherapy, law, fashion design or five-year integrated degrees, and awards are tenable only at institutions empanelled with ICCR.
• Scholars may not take paid work in India during the course and must leave India once studies end.
• Every applicant submits a 500-word English essay on the ICCR portal and must be able to follow lessons taught in English.

Application process

1. 1
   Read the current scheme notice on the Sri Lanka Ministry of Education website and confirm which stream and level you qualify for.
2. 2
   Apply online through the Ministry’s foreign scholarships portal before the closing date. One application per person, nothing sent by post.
3. 3
   The Ministry shortlists candidates — Z-score order for undergraduate, academic merit order for PhD — and calls them to a structured interview at short notice by email.
4. 4
   Nominations are forwarded to ICCR through the High Commission of India in Colombo. A nomination is not an award.
5. 5
   Register on ICCR’s A2A portal and choose up to five universities and courses in priority order, with every entry matching the uploaded documents.
6. 6
   Universities confirm provisional admission on the portal, then the Indian Mission awards the scholarship within Sri Lanka’s allocated slots and issues an offer letter.
7. 7
   Accept the offer within seven days, upload a medical fitness certificate, and complete visa formalities — student visa S-1 for undergraduate and master’s study, research visa S-5 for PhD.
8. 8
   On arrival, register with the immigration authorities within 14 days and file the joining report through the university so allowances can start.

Program timeline

1. 5 March 2026

   Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Education published the 2026/27 undergraduate and PhD notices.

2. application deadline, and the date the 18–40 age limit is measured against.

   16 March 2026

3. shortlisting and structured interviews, notified by email at short notice.

   From late March 2026

4. 1 July 2026

   ICCR’s reference date for age limits and passport validity for the 2026-27 intake.

5. Early 2027 (expected)

   the 2027/28 notices are published, following the pattern of the 2025 and 2026 rounds.