Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) established the National Talent Scholarship (NTS) to provide financial aid to students attending ICAR-accredited agricultural universities outside of their home state who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree in agriculture or a related field. The ICAR Education Division’s “Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India” initiative provides funding for this fellowship. The scholarship is first awarded for a year at a monthly rate of ₹2,000. As long as the student continues to behave and do well academically as required by the university, it is renewable for the whole undergraduate program.
Benefits
- The scholarship provides ₹2,000 per month for students pursuing an undergraduate (Bachelor’s) degree in Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the National Talent Scholarship (NTS), the applicant must:
- Be enrolled in a Bachelor’s program at an ICAR-recognized Agricultural University outside his/her state of domicile.
- Have secured admission through the All India Entrance Examination (AIEEA) conducted by ICAR.
- Be studying in an Agricultural University that is funded under the “Strengthening and Development of Higher Agricultural Education in India” scheme.
The student must maintain the following conditions to continue receiving the scholarship:
- Maintain good academic performance and conduct, certified by the Head of the College/University/Institution.
- Not remain absent without prior permission and must not participate in strikes or agitations.
- Undertake studies on a full-time basis and must not take up any job, even on a part-time basis.
- Not accept any other financial assistance or scholarship while studying.
- Not leave the course within one month of admission.
- Not change their subject of study after receiving the NTS award.
Application Process
Online Application
- Applications can only be submitted online through the official ICAR website:
https://icar.nta.ac.in. - Offline applications are not accepted.
Documents Required
Candidates must upload scanned images of the following documents during online submission:
- Photograph
- Signature
- Thumb impression
Note: No additional certificates are required to be uploaded at the time of application submission.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Is there direct admission to ICAR Agricultural Universities (AUs) through nomination, without qualifying in AIEEA-UG/AIEEA-PG/AICE-JRF-SRF(PhD)?
No, students must qualify through AIEEA-UG/AIEEA-PG/AICE-JRF-SRF(PhD) conducted by ICAR.
Q2: What are the different modes to apply for AIEEA-UG/AIEEA-PG/AICE-JRF-SRF(PhD)?
Applications can only be submitted online through the ICAR official website (https://icar.nta.ac.in).
Q3: Can I submit more than one application form for the exam?
No, students can submit only one application form. Multiple applications will be rejected.
Q4: How can I pay the application fee?
The application fee must be paid online through Net Banking, Credit Card, Debit Card, or UPI as per ICAR guidelines.
Q5: I made corrections in my submitted application. Can I correct more details after submission?
No, once you have submitted the corrections, no further changes can be made. Ensure all corrections are done before final submission.