Only 269 Telangana Students Won INSPIRE-SHE Central Scholarships Since 2008

Hyderabad: Only 269 students from Telangana have benefited from the Central government's INSPIRE-SHE scholarship programme since its inception in 2008, with Rs 6.3 crore disbursed to them so far.

According to data tabled in the Rajya Sabha in response to a query earlier this week, more than 1.3 lakh students across the country have received a total of Rs 2,784 crore under the scheme since it began. Telangana’s numbers trail significantly behind states such as Uttar Pradesh (60,263 beneficiaries), Karnataka (26,164), Rajasthan (23,467), and West Bengal (15,958).

Run by the Department of Science and Technology, the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research - Scholarship for Higher Education (INSPIRE-SHE) programme aims to encourage meritorious students aged 17 to 22 to study basic and natural sciences at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The scheme provides a scholarship of Rs 60,000 annually along with a mentorship grant of Rs 20,000, bringing total annual support to Rs 80,000.

The state’s low beneficiary count is accompanied by a small applicant pool. Data released by the department for the 2024 batch showed that only 55 applications were submitted from Telangana, of which 17 were selected. Across India, 21,392 applications were received that year, resulting in 11,294 selections.

An education department official familiar with the issue said poor awareness and structural shortcomings were key factors behind the low numbers. The official noted that there is no single-window body in the state dedicated to identifying, pursuing, and following up on Central schemes, adding that Telangana has missed out on various central initiatives due to lack of follow-up or failure to provide required matching grants.

K Ramdas, secretary of the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Education Institutions (FATHI), said the grant amount might also deter applicants. Pointing out that basic fees for science courses in Telangana can reach around Rs 1.1 lakh per year, he suggested raising the INSPIRE-SHE support to at least Rs 1 lakh annually to make it meaningful for students.