AICTE Pragati Scholarship: Rs 50,000 a year for girl students in technical courses

By AiCoN | Published 6 October 2026 | Updated 2 November 2026

Scoped update: 2 November 2026. The live NSP scheme list now shows the AICTE Pragati degree and diploma entries open to students till 30 November 2026, with defective application and institute verification till 15 December 2026 and DNO/SNO/MNO verification till 31 December 2026. The dates below are updated. The 24 October note after this one recorded the earlier 31 October date. Original publication date unchanged.

Earlier update: 24 October 2026. The live NSP scheme list still shows the AICTE Pragati entries open to students till 31 October 2026, with verification till 15 November 2026 (see the added screenshot). We also added the degree-guideline details below. Original publication date unchanged.

The Pragati scholarship helps girl students in AICTE-approved technical degree and diploma courses. Applications for 2026-27 close on 30 November 2026 on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP).

What is the Pragati scholarship?

Pragati is an AICTE scholarship scheme for girl students. There is a degree-level scheme and a diploma-level scheme. Both are on the National Scholarship Portal at scholarships.gov.in.

The current Government myScheme degree page and AICTE FAQ list ₹50,000 per year. Degree support is up to four years for first-year entrants or three years for lateral entry. The FAQ lists diploma support up to three years or two years for lateral entry. Renewal and eligibility checks apply; this is not guaranteed payment for every applicant.

Who can apply?

From the official AICTE guidelines and FAQ on NSP:

• The girl is admitted to the first year of a degree course, or to the second year through lateral entry, in an AICTE-approved institution. Diploma has similar rules.
• Up to two girls per family can get it.
• Family income from all sources must not exceed ₹8 lakh a year. A valid income certificate issued by the State or Union Territory government is required.

Kerala students can get the income certificate from the e-District portal. See our e-District guide.

What the degree guidelines add

The official degree guidelines on NSP (labelled 2020-21, so check NSP for any newer rule) say:

• 5,000 degree scholarships are earmarked each year, split state and UT-wise (Kerala is listed at 196). If too few degree applications arrive, the seats move to the diploma scheme.
• On top of the 5,000, every eligible girl who applies from the 13 listed Union Territories and North-Eastern states gets the scholarship.
• Selection is on merit in the qualifying examination. Ties go first to higher 10th marks, then to the older candidate.
• The gap between passing the qualifying exam and joining the course must be two years or less.
• You must not receive another scholarship, stipend, salary or similar help during the course. If you do, Pragati stops and the money must be refunded to AICTE.
• The amount is Rs 50,000 a year as a lump sum for fees, a computer, books and similar costs. No extra grant for hostel or medical costs. Payment is by DBT once a year.
• Renewal each year needs your marksheet and a letter from the head of your institution. A student who is not promoted loses the scholarship.

Important dates for 2026-27

These dates are from the NSP "All Scholarships" page on 2 November 2026. Dates can be extended, so check NSP.

How to apply on NSP: step by step

Checked on the live National Scholarship Portal on 19 October 2026. NSP now uses One Time Registration (OTR) - do this first if you have never registered.

1. Open scholarships.gov.in (Academic Year 2026-27 is live), click Students → Apply now, then Register. Registration is free - no fee is required.
2. Read the OTR guidelines, tick the consent boxes and click Next. Register your active mobile number and verify it with the OTP; a reference number is sent to your mobile.
3. Complete eKYC: install the NSP OTR app and the Aadhaar Face RD app on an Android phone and do face authentication with the reference number. Your OTR ID is then generated. Aadhaar is required; a minor without Aadhaar can register with a parent's or legal guardian's Aadhaar.
4. Log in on NSP with your OTR ID, open Fresh Application for Academic Year 2026-27 and choose the AICTE Pragati Scholarship for girl students from the scheme list.
5. Fill the application form and upload the documents it lists.
6. Submit before 30 November 2026. Track the application in the same dashboard; institute and district/state verification happen after you submit.

Steps 4-6 happen inside your own NSP login, so they are not shown as screenshots. Generating an OTR alone is not an application - you must still log in and submit the scholarship application.

Video guides

We searched YouTube on 19 October 2026 for a step-by-step application video for this scheme on the current NSP OTR portal in English and in Malayalam. The videos we found cover older portal versions or could not be verified to match the current portal, so we are not linking any rather than risk outdated or unrelated instructions.

Cost, eligibility and limits

Stay safe

• Never pay anyone for a "guaranteed" scholarship.
• Use only scholarships.gov.in.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date?

30 November 2026 for students, according to the NSP page we checked on 2 November 2026.

Is there an application fee?

No. NSP is free.

Can two sisters both get it?

Yes. The rule is up to two girl children per family.

Do I need an income certificate?

Yes, a valid one from the State or UT government.

Can I apply if I am in a diploma course?

Yes. NSP has a separate Pragati scheme for diploma.

Sources: National Scholarship Portal, NSP: All Scholarships (dates), Pragati guidelines (degree), Pragati FAQ. Checked 6 October 2026; application steps and video search re-checked 19 October 2026. Dates and guideline details re-checked 24 October 2026 on the live NSP scheme list and the degree guideline PDF. Dates re-checked again on 2 November 2026 on the live NSP scheme list. · Government myScheme degree benefits and eligibility