National Fellowship for SCs: 22.7% of selected candidates join in 3 years
Less than one-fourth of the candidates who were selected for the National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes (NFSC) joined the scheme over the last three years, according to data submitted by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) to a parliamentary standing committee. The data was presented to the committee headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) PC Mohan.
The committee had earlier questioned why the number of NFSC slots had remained fixed at 2,000 for more than two decades and recommended increasing the annual allocation, reports Shradha Chettri.
However, the government said there was no need to increase the slots at present, as many existing seats remained vacant. According to ministry data, only 22.70% of selected candidates joined the fellowship between 2023 and 2025.
While reviewing the ministry of tribal affairs, the committee expressed concern over the implementation of the Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). It highlighted = that the 2025-26 budget allocation was cut from Rs 7,088.60 crore to Rs 4,900 crore, with Rs 4,011.25 crore spent as of January 19, 2026.
The NFSC scheme provides 2,000 new fellowships each year, with 500 in sciences and 1,500 in humanities and social sciences to candidates who qualify for the University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test - Junior Research Fellowship (UGC NET-JRF) or Joint Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test (CSIR-UGC NET).
NFSC joining rate falls to 8.04% in 2025
Government data shows that the proportion of selected candidates joining the fellowship has sharply declined over the last three-year period.
Year | Alloted slots | Candidates selected | Students joined | Joining rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 2,250* | 2,423 | 662 | 27.32 |
2024 | 2,000 | 2,156 | 503 | 23.33 |
2025 | 2,000 | 858 | 69** | 8.04 |
Total | 6,250 | 5,437 | 1,234 | 22.70 |
*The 2023 figure includes 250 additional slots related to Joint CSIR-UGC NET December 2022.
**The NTA did not provide the selected/shortlisted candidate list for the June 2025 CSIR-UGC NET and the December cycle of both examinations.
The ministry also pointed out that candidates have three months to join the fellowship if they are already pursuing their course, while non-pursuing candidates have up to three years.
Shradha Chettri also reported that the parliamentary panel subsequently decided not to pursue its recommendation to increase the NFSC slots at this stage.
Panel flags poor performance of free coaching scheme
The committee also raised concerns over the implementation of the free coaching for SCs and Other Backward Class (OBCs) scheme. The panel noted that the scheme has consistently spent much less than its allocated budget.
Year | Budget estimate | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
2023-24 | Rs 47 crore | Rs 7.76 crore |
2024-25 | Rs 35 crore | Rs 17.68 crore |
2025-26 | Rs 20 crore | Rs 9.86 crore |
The committee also pointed to a gap between the target and actual number of beneficiaries.
There are no satisfactory explanations citing limited participation by central universities and delays in receiving proposals. It also noted that the department had introduced changes, including making the Dr Ambedkar Foundation the central nodal agency, but implementation remained weak.
For the 16th finance commission cycle, the ministry has proposed including state universities and introducing a student-centric approach to expand the scheme's reach, Shradha Chettri reported. The committee has urged the government to implement these changes quickly and make sure the Rs 20 crore budget estimate for 2026 to 2027 is fully utilised.