NEC Merit Scholarship Scheme

Scheme Introduction: A Brief Overview

For students from the North Eastern Region, pursuing higher education can sometimes involve additional financial expenses, especially when they choose professional or advanced courses outside their home state. To support their educational journey, the NEC Merit Scholarship, officially known as Financial Support to the Students of NER for Higher Professional Courses, provides merit-based financial assistance to eligible students from the eight North Eastern States. The scholarship amount varies by level of study, with ₹20,000 per year for Diploma courses, ₹22,000 for Degree courses, ₹25,000 for Postgraduate courses, and ₹30,000 per year for M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses.

The scholarship is available to eligible permanent residents of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Students can pursue eligible courses in recognised institutions anywhere in India, meaning they do not have to study within the North Eastern Region to receive the benefit. The scheme is intended to support meritorious students and contribute to the development of specialised manpower in the NER.

The scheme is administered by the North Eastern Council (NEC) under the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. The revised NEC Merit Scholarship rules came into force from the financial year 2020-21, and eligible applications are processed through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Scholarship payments are made through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the eligible student's bank account.

To apply, the student must be a permanent resident of one of the eight North Eastern States, have at least 60% marks in the relevant qualifying examination, and have a parent or guardian with an annual income of up to ₹8 lakh. The student must also meet the prescribed course, admission and institution requirements. Fresh applicants apply when their course begins, while existing scholars must meet the renewal conditions each year.

The NEC Merit Scholarship supports eligible Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses. For M.Phil. and Ph.D., the research topic must be directly and specifically relevant to current issues of the North Eastern Region. The scholarship is available for the prescribed course duration, with a maximum of 2 years for M.Phil. and 3 years for Ph.D.

Fresh applications are considered on merit within the prescribed state-wise and course-wise allocation. The scheme provides for 1,600 normative fresh scholarships across the eight North Eastern States. Applications are verified by the institution and concerned State-level authorities before further processing.

Students from the North Eastern Region may also explore the Ishan Uday Special Scholarship Scheme, which provides separate scholarship support for eligible students pursuing their first undergraduate degree. Since the two scholarships have different eligibility conditions and implementing authorities, students should check the respective scheme rules before applying.

Scheme Benefits

The NEC Merit Scholarship provides annual financial assistance to eligible students from the North Eastern Region who are pursuing approved Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate, M.Phil. or Ph.D. courses. The scholarship amount depends on the level of study and is available for the prescribed duration of the course, subject to the scheme conditions.

• Diploma students can receive ₹20,000 per year.
• Degree students can receive ₹22,000 per year.
• Postgraduate students can receive ₹25,000 per year.
• M.Phil. and Ph.D. students can receive ₹30,000 per year.
• The scholarship can be used to help meet education-related expenses during the prescribed course period.
• Students can pursue eligible courses at recognised institutions anywhere in India, including outside the North Eastern Region.
• The scholarship is provided through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the eligible student's bank account.
• The scheme provides 1,600 normative fresh scholarship slots across the eight North Eastern States, subject to the available budget and applicable allocation.
• For M.Phil. and Ph.D. students, eligible research must be directly and specifically related to the current problems or issues of the North Eastern Region.

The scholarship is not limited to students studying within the North Eastern Region. Eligible students can pursue approved higher education courses in other parts of India as well, provided they meet the prescribed eligibility, selection and renewal conditions.

Eligibility Requirements

Students need to meet certain academic, residential, income and course-related conditions to apply for the NEC Merit Scholarship. The main eligibility requirements are as follows:

• The applicant must be a permanent resident of any one of the eight North Eastern States: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim or Tripura.
• The annual income of the applicant's parent or guardian from all sources must not exceed ₹8 lakh.
• The applicant must have secured at least 60% marks in the relevant qualifying examination.
• For a fresh scholarship, the student must be entering the first year of the eligible course.
• The applicant must be admitted to a recognised institution and an eligible course covered under the scholarship scheme.
• The scholarship is available for eligible Diploma, Degree, Postgraduate, M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses as prescribed under the scheme.
• Students can study at an eligible institution located anywhere in India, including outside the North Eastern Region.
• The applicant must not be receiving another scholarship or financial assistance for the same course.
• Students who are sponsored, in-service or employed full-time during the course are not eligible for the scholarship.
• For M.Phil. and Ph.D. courses, the research topic must be directly and specifically related to the current problems or issues of the North Eastern Region.
• For renewal, students must continue to satisfy the prescribed academic and other conditions of the scheme.

Required Documents

Applicants should keep the documents required for verification ready before submitting the scholarship application. The NEC rules specify the following documents, while NSP may require additional documents depending on the application.

• Permanent Residential Certificate (PRC) issued by the competent authority of the concerned North Eastern State.
• Certificate of Identification (COI) for eligible permanent residents of Sikkim.
• Income certificate issued by the competent authority.
• Details of the qualifying examination.
• Bank account passbook in the student's name, where required.
• Research synopsis signed by the project guide, Director (Research) or authorised institute/university official for M.Phil. and Ph.D. applicants.
• Any other document required under the applicable NSP guidelines.

Applicants should check the requirements displayed on NSP before submission, as additional documents may be requested during verification.

Selection Process

After the application is submitted and verified, eligible fresh applicants are considered on the basis of merit and the scholarship allocation prescribed for the North Eastern States. The available scholarships are distributed through state-wise and course-wise allocations, subject to the available budget.

• Fresh applicants must meet the prescribed eligibility conditions, including the minimum academic requirement and income limit.
• Selection is made on merit within the applicable state and course-wise allocation.
• The scheme has a normative allocation of 1,600 fresh scholarships across the eight North Eastern States.
• If seats remain unfilled in a state, the unfilled allocation may be redistributed among other North Eastern States according to inter-se merit, as prescribed under the scheme.
• For M.Phil. and Ph.D. applicants, the research topic must be directly and specifically relevant to the current problems or issues of the North Eastern Region.
• There is no separate reservation based on caste, religion or gender under the scheme.

Scholarship Duration

The NEC Merit Scholarship is provided for the prescribed duration of the eligible course, provided the student continues to meet the renewal conditions. The scholarship does not normally continue beyond the approved course duration.

• Eligible Diploma, Degree and Postgraduate students can receive the scholarship for the prescribed duration of their respective courses.
• M.Phil. students can receive the scholarship for a maximum period of 2 years.
• Ph.D. students can receive the scholarship for a maximum period of 3 years.
• Integrated courses may be covered for their full prescribed duration, subject to the applicable eligibility and renewal conditions.

Steps to Apply

The NEC Merit Scholarship application is processed online through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP). Students applying for the current cycle should first complete the NSP One Time Registration (OTR) and then use their OTR details to access the scholarship application.

• Start by opening the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), which handles the online scholarship application and verification process.
• On the NSP homepage, open the student section and complete the One Time Registration (OTR) if you do not already have an OTR number. The current NSP system requires an OTR for scholarship applications.
• After completing OTR, use your OTR ID and password to sign in to the student application area.
• Look for the scholarship scheme titled "Financial Support to the Students of NER for Higher Professional Courses (NEC Merit Scholarship)" and select the appropriate application option.
• Enter your personal, domicile, academic, course, income and bank account details carefully as requested in the application form.
• Upload the required documents in the prescribed format and check that the information matches your supporting records.
• Before submitting the application, review every detail carefully, especially your marks, income information, course details, domicile and bank account information.
• Submit the completed application through NSP and save the application details or acknowledgement for future reference.
• After submission, the application goes through institutional verification followed by the prescribed verification by the concerned State or NEC authorities.
• Keep checking the application status on NSP and respond promptly if the institution or verification authority marks the application as defective or asks for a correction.

For the current 2026–27 cycle, NSP lists the NEC Merit Scholarship under renewal applications, with the student application window running from 15 July 2026 to 31 October 2026. Students should therefore check the scheme status shown on NSP before starting a fresh application.

Renewal Process

Receiving the scholarship in one academic year does not mean that it will continue automatically in the following year. Students who remain eligible must apply for renewal through the prescribed process and satisfy the academic and other conditions of the scheme.

• The student must submit a renewal application for each subsequent eligible academic year.
• The student must continue in the same eligible course and institution, subject to the scheme rules.
• Academic progress and promotion to the next year are considered during renewal.
• Students must satisfy the prescribed conditions relating to failed subjects or backlogs.
• A break in studies can affect renewal, except where the scheme permits an exception for valid medical reasons with the required documents.
• M.Phil. and Ph.D. students may need to submit the latest prescribed research progress report.

Important Points for Applicants

A few requirements should be checked carefully before submitting an application because an otherwise eligible student can face problems during verification if the information or documents do not match the scheme requirements.

• The annual income of the parent or guardian from all sources must not exceed ₹8 lakh.
• The applicant must have secured at least 60% marks in the relevant qualifying examination.
• The student must not be receiving another scholarship or financial assistance for the same course.
• Current NSP applications require the student to have a valid One Time Registration (OTR).
• The institution must be registered or onboarded on NSP and complete the required verification.
• Students should carefully check their domicile, academic, course, income and bank details before final submission.
• Renewal applicants must continue to meet the prescribed academic and other conditions each year.
• Students should regularly check their NSP application status and respond to any defect or correction request within the prescribed period.

Relevant Links

• Official Website of The North Eastern Council (NEC)
• National Scholarship Portal (NSP)
• NEC Merit Scholarship Guidelines
• NEC Merit Scholarship FAQ.
• NEC Scholarship Beneficiary List

Contact Information

For assistance related to the NEC Merit Scholarship, students can contact the North Eastern Council Secretariat or approach the concerned State Nodal Officer through the prescribed scholarship verification channel.

North Eastern Council Secretariat

• Phone: 03642522674
• Address: North Eastern Council Secretariat, Nongrim Hills, Shillong, Meghalaya – 793003

Web Information

• Phone: 03642522662
• Email: [email protected]

For application, verification or correction-related issues, students should first contact their concerned institution or State Nodal Officer. For scheme-level assistance, the NEC Secretariat is the appropriate authority to approach.