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Education & Learning

Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students

Maulana Azad National Fellowship For Minority Students was launched in 2009 by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for providing financial aid to students for their higher studies.

Authority

Central

Region

Central Government

Status

Verified 2026

Updated

March 2026

What you get

The rate of fellowship for JRF and SRF is at par with the UGC fellowship, presently the rates are as follows: | - Fellowship in Science Humanities and Social Science: ₹ 31,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF), and ₹ 35,000/- pm. for remaining tenure (SRF)- Fellowship in Engineering & Technology: ₹ 31,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF), and ₹ 35,000/- pm. for remaining tenure (SRF)- Contingency for Humanities & Social Sciences: ₹ 10,000/- p.a. for initial two years, and ₹ 20,500/- p.a. for remaining tenure- Contingency for Sciences, Engineering & Technology: ₹ 12,000/- p.a. for initial two years, and ₹ 25,000/- p.a. for remaining tenure- Escorts/Reader assistance (All subjects): ₹ 2,000/- p.m. in cases of physically and visually handicapped candidate

Who can apply

The applicant should be a part of one of the minority communities (Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, or Zoroastrian (Parsi)).; Applicant must qualify the UGC-NET or Joint CSIR-UGC NET examination.; If applicant does not complete his/her research work during the period of fellowship shall not be eligible to apply again under this scheme.; If applicant completely or partially availed any fellowship earlier shall also not be eligible for fellowship under this scheme.; Employees of any university, college, educational institution, or central, state, or union territory government are not eligible for fellowships, even if they are on study leave or end of life (EOL) leave to pursue an M.Phil. or Ph.D. course

Required Paperwork

  • Aadhaar Card
  • PAN Card
  • Income Certificate
  • Residence Proof (Domicile)

Common Questions

Who can apply for fellowship under MANF scheme?

The candidate should belong to one of the minority communities notified under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, viz., Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Sikh, Zoroastrian (Parsi).

Is it mandatory to appear in the UGCNET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test for MANF Fellowship?

Yes, this fellowship is awarded only through UGC-NET / Joint CSIR-UGC Test. Candidate should apply for both i.e. JRF and Eligibility for Assistant Professor.

What is the period for availing the award of MANF through UGCNET/Joint CSIR-UGC Test?

For the candidates who had already taken admission into M.Phil / Ph.D while applying for the concerned UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test, the validity period of the offer is three months w.e.f. the date of issue of Award letter. Other candidates have to join M.Phil / Ph.D within three years from the date of issue of the Award Letter.

Where will the MANF qualified candidate get the Award Letter?

The UGC uploads the Award Letters on its website: www.ugcnetonline.in. The qualified candidates can download their Award Letters from there.

Can I be considered for MANF if I have not declared my minority status while applying for UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test?

The result of MANF is prepared on the basis of information provided by the candidate in his/her Online Applying Form for UGC-NET/ Joint CSIR-UGC Test. The candidate, therefore, must exercise utmost care while filling the online application form. No requests for alteration in category, community or any other material information are entertained at a later stage.

How many Fellowships can be availed by the candidate at a time?

A scholar is eligible to receive only one fellowship at a time.

What is the mode of selection?

Community-wise selection of scholars at the national level will be done on the basis of their pro-rata population. Merit list is prepared from amongst the candidates who had applied for JRF as well as Eligibility for Assistant Professor but who qualify for Eligibility for Assistant Professor only.

Whether any candidate who has already taken admission into M.Phil/Ph.D. programme can be given preference as per the selection criteria?

The candidates, who have already taken admission in M.Phil/Ph.D. will receive precedence over other candidates.

What is the duration of fellowship?

For M.Phil :- Maximum duration is 2 years or date of submission of dissertation, whichever is earlier. | For Ph.D. : - Maximum duration is 5 years or date of submission of Ph.D. thesis, whichever is earlier (2 years for JRF and remaining 3 years for SRF). | For M.Phil + Ph.D. :- Maximum duration is 5 years or date of submission of Ph.D. thesis, whichever is earlier (2 years for JRF and remaining 3 years for SRF).

What is the rate of fellowship?

JRF- Rs.31,000/- p.m. for initial two years | SRF- Rs.35,000/- pm. for remaining tenure | HRA and Contingency is also paid as per guidelines of scheme.