National Fellowship for OBC Students

About this scheme

The National Fellowship for OBC Students (NF-OBC) is a Central Sector Scheme launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC). It was introduced in 2014-15 to increase opportunities for Other Backward Classes (OBC) students to pursue higher education leading to M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees. The scheme provides 1,000 Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) per year — 750 for Humanities/Social Sciences (UGC-NET-JRF) and 250 for Sciences (UGC-CSIR NET-JRF). Fellows receive a JRF for the first two years and an SRF for the remaining tenure, along with contingency grants, HRA, and medical benefits. The fellowship is awarded for up to 5 years (2 years JRF + 3 years SRF) subject to satisfactory research progress.

Eligibility

• Caste category: Must belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category as notified by the Government of India with a valid OBC-NCL certificate
• National eligibility test: Must have qualified UGC-NET-JRF (for Humanities/Social Sciences) or UGC-CSIR NET-JRF (for Sciences)
• Programme: Must be enrolled in a regular, full-time M.Phil. or Ph.D. programme at a UGC-recognised university or institution
• Other fellowships: Must not be receiving any other fellowship, scholarship, or financial benefit from Central or State Government or any other body like UGC
• Employment: Employees of any university, educational institution, or Central/State/UT Government are not eligible, even if on study leave or Extra-Ordinary Leave (EOL)
• Tenure validity: The JRF award letter is valid for 3 years from the date of issue; fellowship commencement is from the date of declaration of result or date of joining, whichever is later

Benefits

• JRF: ₹31,000 per month for the first 2 years
• SRF: ₹35,000 per month for the remaining 3 years (after satisfactory progress)
• Contingency Grant (Humanities): ₹10,000/year for initial 2 years; ₹20,500/year for SRF phase
• Contingency Grant (Sciences): ₹12,000/year for initial 2 years; ₹25,000/year for SRF phase
• House Rent Allowance (HRA) as per UGC norms if hostel accommodation is not provided
• Medical facilities as per UGC guidelines
• Reader/escort assistance of ₹2,000/month for physically or visually handicapped candidates
• 1,000 fellowship slots awarded annually (750 Humanities + 250 Sciences)
• 5% of fellowship slots reserved for persons with disabilities

Required documents

• OBC-NCL Caste Certificate (Central list)
• UGC-NET-JRF or CSIR-NET-JRF qualification proof
• Aadhaar Card
• Admission letter or registration proof for M.Phil./Ph.D.
• Post-graduation mark sheet / degree
• Bank passbook (Aadhaar-linked)

Optional

• Disability certificate (if applicable)
• Hostel accommodation proof or HRA declaration