Sashakt Scholarship: Rs 2.4 Lakh, Apply by 31 October

Sashakt Scholarship 2026–27: ₹2.4 Lakh for Girls Entering Top Science Colleges — Applications Close 31 October

The Sashakt Scholarship is one of the few Indian scholarships built around a single, specific problem: bright girls dropping out of science between Class 12 and college. Run by Dr Reddy's Foundation — the not-for-profit set up in 1996 by the Dr. Reddy's family — it supports young women entering undergraduate science degrees at a defined list of India's strongest institutions, pairing money with something rarer in Indian scholarships: a working woman scientist as a personal mentor through the degree. Registrations for the 2026 cycle opened on 1 June 2026, and the window closes on 31 October 2026 — but there is a catch built into the design: your application is only complete once you submit a confirmed admission offer from a listed institution. That deadline structure is the whole game, and this guide explains how to play it.

What you get

The award, as stated on the Foundation's own programme page, is ₹2,40,000 in total — ₹80,000 per year for three years of study — intended to cover college tuition fees, study expenses and basic living costs. On top of the money, every scholar is matched with a lead woman scientist as a mentor, who guides her through the key stages of the degree and serves as a living role model for a research career. Scholarships are limited in number; this is a competitive, merit-based selection, not an entitlement for everyone who clears eligibility.

Who can apply

• Girls only, from anywhere in India, who have completed their Class XII examinations and hold a record of academic excellence. You can register as soon as your Class 12 exams are done — you do not need to wait for admission results to start the application.
• Course: you must be entering a B.Sc. in natural/pure sciences, a B.Tech., or an MBBS at one of the institutions on the programme's official list. A B.Sc. in an unrelated subject, or a degree at a non-listed college, does not qualify — the scholarship is given only against confirmed admission to a listed college.
• Preference, not a hard bar: the Foundation states preference for students from rural backgrounds, economically weaker backgrounds, and those with a genuine interest in scientific research. There is no single published income cutoff; however, an income certificate is a mandatory document for households with income below ₹5 lakh, which tells you where the programme's centre of gravity lies.

The listed institutions (this is where applications succeed or fail)

For B.Sc., the list spans IISc Bengaluru; all the IISERs (Kolkata, Pune, Mohali, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram, Tirupati, Berhampur); and leading colleges including Miranda House, Hindu College, Lady Shri Ram College, St. Stephen's, Kirori Mal, Sri Venkateswara, ARSD, Deshbandhu and Acharya Narendra Dev College in Delhi; St. Xavier's and Bethune in Kolkata; Presidency, Loyola, Madras Christian, Queen Mary's, Ethiraj and Stella Maris in Chennai; St. Xavier's Mumbai; M S Ramaiah, Christ University (Department of Science), Kristu Jayanti and St. Joseph's in Bengaluru; and St. Francis College for Women, Nizam College and Loyola Academy in Hyderabad.

For B.Tech., the list is ten IITs: Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Roorkee, Guwahati, Hyderabad, BHU (Varanasi) and Indore. For MBBS, the college must be among the top 50 NIRF-ranked medical schools — the published list includes AIIMS Delhi and AIIMS Jodhpur, Christian Medical College Vellore, IMS-BHU, King George's Medical University, JIPMER Puducherry, Madras Medical College, VMMC & Safdarjung, Maulana Azad Medical College, Lady Hardinge, AMU and AIIMS Bhubaneswar, among others.

How the application actually works

1. Register and fill the application formon the programme's portal (linked from sashaktscholarship.org) from 1 June 2026, and submit your documents.
2. Select your institution(s)from the listed colleges for your course track.
3. Submit the admission offer from any one institution by 31 October 2026.Admission slips must be uploaded as proof. The date is set late deliberately — by 31 October, all listed colleges have announced their final admission lists.
4. Wait for the selection confirmation email.Selection weighs academic performance, financial background and motivation for a career in science; shortlisted candidates may face further verification.

Documents to keep ready

Class X certificate (mandatory) and Class X marksheet (optional); Class XII / 10+2 marksheet (mandatory) and certificate (optional); income certificate (mandatory for households below ₹5 lakh annual income); disability certificate (mandatory for PwD candidates); and the admission offer/admission slip from the listed institution, without which the application cannot be completed.

The mistakes that end applications

The first is treating 31 October as the date to start: the form can be filed early, but the admission offer has to be in by the same deadline, so the practical work — registering, uploading Class 10/12 documents, tracking your college admission — all happens through the summer. The second is applying against the wrong institution: a confirmed seat at an excellent college that is not on the Sashakt list earns nothing under this scheme, so check the list for your exact course before you count on the money in your budget. The third is assuming the award runs the full length of every degree: the stated award covers three years at ₹80,000 a year, so B.Tech. and MBBS students should plan the later years' funding separately and confirm current per-track terms on the portal. Done right, Sashakt is among the most valuable undergraduate awards a Class 12 science student in India can hold — ₹2.4 lakh, three years of mentorship, and a network of women scientists, for the cost of one careful application.

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