News & Updates

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established by the Government of India in the year 1961 with a view to bringing about qualitative improvement in school education in the country. No sooner the Council was set up than it mounted a number of programmes in this direction. One such programme was to identify and nurture the talented students. This programme took up the shape of a scheme called National Science Talent Search Scheme (NSTSS) in the year 1963 which provided for the identification of talented students and awarding them with scholarships. 
The scholarship under the present scheme awarded to the candidates for pursuing courses in science and social science up to doctoral level and in professional courses like medicine and engineering up to second-degree level subject to the fulfillment of the conditions provided in this brochure. 

No. of scholarships : As on date 1000 scholarships are awarded in the country. 

1. Higher Secondary level Rs. 1250/- p.m. 
2. Graduate and Post Graduate Rs. 2000/- p.m. 
3. For Ph.D. degree (four years) As per UGC norms

Reservation : 15% for SC, 7.5% for ST and 27% for other backward classes and 4 percent for group of students with benchmark disabilities. 

Two stage exam : The State/Union Territory will prepare a merit list of the candidates ensuring the minimum qualifying marks in both the tests separately. These marks are 40 per cent in the case of General and OBC category candidates and 32 per cent in the case of SC/ST/physically challenged candidates. 
The result of State Level Talent Search examination is declared in months of January/February by the States/UTs themselves. This examination is used only to recommend the candidates for second level NTS examination conducted by the NCERT. The marks of the State level Examination are not added to the National Level Examination for award of scholarship. 

Application Procedure : The students studying in Class X in the country ought to be on the lookout for any advertisement in the newspapers or circulars in the school by the respective Government of their State/UT for the above said examination and act as per the requirement given in the State advertisement/circular. Any other information/query about the details of the state level examination may be had from Liaison Officers of the State/UT agencies, the addresses of which are given in the Appendix. 

For full details and borchure, click HERE