General Scholarships—GCSS
The General Cultural Scholarship Scheme (GCSS) is one of the most important and popular schemes of the ICCR for foreign students. Scholarships are awarded under this scheme annually to international students belonging to certain Asian, African and Latin American countries for the undergraduate, postgraduate degrees and for pursuing research at Indian universities. However, scholarships for medical studies for MBBS, BDS or for medical research leading to a Ph.D degree are not offered under the GCSS scheme.
The list of Countries covered under the GSS is given below:
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Argentina, Belarus, Belize, Brazil, Belgium, Cambodia, Fiji, Georgia, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Reunion Island, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, South Korea, Suriname, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu (Fiji), UAE, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.
Application Procedure
Offers of scholarships are sent to the respective Governments through the Indian diplomatic missions abroad. Nominations received thereafter from the respective governments by the Indian diplomatic missions are forwarded to the ICCR for final selection and placement.
Direct applications from candidates are not considered by ICCR. International government nominees have to fill in the prescribed forms for Scholarships for Foreign Nationals that are available with Indian missions abroad. While filling in the forms, the candidate must specify the course he/she wishes to pursue such as i) certificate/diploma ii) undergraduate degree iii) postgraduate degree iv) doctoral research work. Candidates are also advised to consult the Handbook of Indian Universities, available with the Indian missions abroad, to ensure the availability of their choice of courses in India.
The application forms should include the required number of copies of educational certificates along with three copies of passport-size photographs. In some cases, a No-objection certificate from the candidate’s employer or place of work is also required. All the applicants are required to undergo an English Proficiency Test conducted by the Indian missions abroad.
The list of universities recognised by the University Grants Commission of India can be seen here.
The scholarship terms for different courses can be seen here.
Welfare of Students
Foreign students are received on their arrival after getting information from the respective Indian Mission abroad. Transit accommodation is arranged for the student and they are paid three months advance stipend on arrival. They are briefed about the social system, culture of India, about the Education pattern in Indian Universities by the dealing official. ICCR usually arranges an exhaustive briefing / orientation programme of our set up, our way of life and cultural heritage for the foreign students on their first arrival to help them adjust in the new environment. This helps the foreign students to overcome teething problems before joining their universities in India. For those who are admitted in Universities / Institutions outside Delhi, Headquarters / Mission arranges their air / train tickets. Necessary messages are issued to the concerned Regional Offices and the Universities for their reception with a request to provide them all necessary assistance.
For the benefit of the scholars, the ICCR has de-centralized scholarship payments so that scholars can get their scholarship on time from the respective ICCR Regional Offices through ATM.
Under its scholarships schemes, ICCR pays stipend/hostel/house rent allowance non-refundable compulsory Institutional fees, contingent allowance thesis / dissertations charges and medical benefits. ICCR has already revised the scholarship rates w.e.f. 1st July, 2012. Financial Terms and Conditions are at AnnexureA.
The Council briefs students about the system of scholarship payment to them through Bank and also opens their bank account to facilitate scholarship payments on time. At Headquarters and Regional Offices, scholarship money is transferred to the Bank account of the student on monthly / quarterly basis so that they can draw the money through ATM Machines according to their requirements.
The foreign scholars are also given advice and assistance in finding accommodation, in case they are unable to secure seats in the hostels. As the campus housing is becoming difficult to obtain, increasingly, foreign scholars have to rent out private accommodation out of necessity.
For the benefit of students, scholars, trainees etc. coming to India under various schemes, exclusive orientation courses to suit each group are organized. Such courses consist not only lectures and demonstration of various aspects of Indian art and culture, but also on social historical, political and economic themes. These courses enable the foreign students to adjust to Indian conditions. Wherever possible the Universities / Educational Institutes arranges English language classes also. Orientation Programme is arranged at headquarters and at the Regional Offices of ICCR all over India.
There are around fifty International Students Advisors (ISAs) appointed in those Indian universities that have large numbers of foreign students. The Council regularly liaises with them through its offices. The Advisors are Senior Faculty Members who help the scholars in settling down, monitor the scholars’ academic progress, and remain the first point of contact for the scholar in case of any emergency, medical illness, financial difficulties etc. They also liaise with ICCR for disbursement of scholarships, etc. to the students. ICCR pay them appropriate Sumptuary Allowance for rendering assistance to the foreign students.
On festive occasions like Diwali, Holi, Independence Day, Republic Day etc, the International Students’ Advisors / International Students’ Associations play an active role in arranging functions and celebrations in the ICCR Regional Offices or University campuses.
By way of a new initiative, the Council convened the first ever meeting of International Students Advisors from universities all over India to review matters relating to placement and welfare of International Students at New Delhi on 2nd September, 2006 and subsequently on 11th April, 2008. These meetings were chaired by the President, ICCR, Dr. Karan Singh to reinforce the priority accorded by the Council to the welfare of these students. It has been decided to institutionalize this interaction as an annual event.
Students are allowed to participate in tours organized by the institutions / universities in which they are studying related to their studies. The expenditure incurred is reimbursed to them as per rules, but only in case where it is mandatory part of the course.
To acquaint the foreign friends with our historical, cultural and other places of interest, several camps are organized by the Council. This programme enables them to get a better picture of the country and of our way of life, which play a vital role in displaying India’s rich cultural heritage. Since the inception of the scholarship programmes, ICCR has been making use of the vacation period by arranging regular summer and winter camps for its scholarships holders as well as for scholars who fund their own studies in India. During the summer months, ICCR arranges tours to hill stations such as Kulu Manali, Ooty, Shimla etc. During the winter months sea-side resorts such as Goa and Trivandrum are preferred. ICCR ensures that besides visits to places of historical and tourist interest the scholars are also exposed to some aspects of India’s economy and commerce including visits to the Indian film Industry, visits to Public Sector undertakings such as Indian Oil Ltd, National Institute of Oceanography and visits to private enterprises. The duration of Summer / Winter camps are usually for 10 days and travel is generally by train or by bus. A Liaison Officer from ICCR accompanies the students. These camps are becoming very popular amongst the foreign students. About 800 foreign students are benefitted every year from these camps.
The List of Winter Camps organized in December 2012 – January 2013 and Summer Camps in May – June 2013 can be seen here.
To commemorate the Birth Anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, first Education Minister of Independent India and the Founder President of the ICCR, an “International Students Festival” called “Friendship Through Culture” is organized every year by the Council in Delhi, its Regional Offices and Indian Missions abroad also. The International Students community has always participated enthusiastically in this event by depicting representative aspects of their respective countries’ cultures. Educational exchanges constitute an important instrumentality for us to reach out to young people overseas for optimum generation of goodwill. It would be important for our Missions to sustain their contacts with the alumni of Indian Universities and arrange appropriate functions periodically to maintain networking with them.
ICCR is updating its Alumni Data Bank of students who had been awarded scholarships under various scholarship schemes offered by ICCR, with the help of our Regional Offices and our Missions abroad which will help to create a dynamic network of distinguished persons across the world.
ICCR has twenty Regional Offices all over the country including offices in the premises of Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi and Ravenshaw University Campus, Cuttack, Orissa, to cater to the needs of large number of ICCR scholars there and to look into scholarship related activities of the Council.
Click here to see about General Instructions to Applicant
Click here to download Application form
Click here to download physical fitness
Click here to download Financial terms and Condtions
Click here to download Joining Report
List of Universities/institutions where ICCR students are studying
To know more about the ICCR and its scholarship schemes, please visit our website at www.iccrindia.net
Or you can log on to our Scholarships page directly.
Our address is:
International Students Division
Indian Council for Cultural Relations
Azad Bhavan, Indraprastha Estate
New Delhi – 110002, INDIA.
