Central Government Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women: ₹58,000 a Month

11 November 2026, 2:33 AM • Harish Sharma • Category: All India Schemes

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News: Central Government Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women: ₹58,000 a Month
Date: 11 November 2026, 2:33 AM
Author: Harish Sharma
Category: All India Schemes
Source: See the official portal for details — the link is inside the story.

Photo: National Cancer Institute, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

You hold a PhD but have no job — the UGC Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women is a big support for such women. It is a scheme of the University Grants Commission (UGC). A selected woman researcher gets ₹58,000 a month as fellowship. The fellowship is for 5 years and 100 women get this opportunity every year. It is given for research in all subjects — science, engineering, technology, humanities and social sciences. Its aim is that talented women should not be forced to give up research because of financial pressure.

How much money is given

The Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women pays as follows.

First year: ₹58,000 a month — the fellowship amount.
Second year: ₹61,000 a month — the increased amount from the second year.
From the third year: ₹67,000 a month — a further increase from the third year.
Contingency: ₹50,000 a year — for research expenses for 5 years.
HRA — a housing allowance is given as per the norms.
Escort and reader assistance: ₹2,000 a month — for PwD researchers.
Duration: 5 years — it cannot be extended.

These amounts follow the rates revised in the UGC’s 572nd meeting, in force from 1 January 2023. The older guidelines quoted ₹38,800 a month for the first 2 years and ₹46,500 a month after that, which were raised in 2023.

Who can apply

This fellowship is for unemployed women PhD holders.

The applicant must be a woman holding a PhD degree.
The applicant must be unemployed.
Age not more than 55 years. SC, ST, OBC and PwD applicants get 5 years of relaxation.
Transgender applicants are also eligible for this fellowship.
The applicant must do research at a university or institute under UGC Sections 2(f) and 12(B).
There should be no government employee in the applicant’s family, and the applicant should not be an income tax payer.

How to apply

Applications are made online on the frg.ugc.ac.in portal. First check the new notice on the portal, then fill the application and upload the PhD certificate, research proposal and academic certificates. Applications for this fellowship open every year — an advertisement appears in major newspapers and a notice on the UGC website. The dates for the 2025 cycle had not been announced yet, so keep checking the portal for the new notice. Selection is based on the quality of the research proposal and the research record. Never pay anyone for applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: How much money is given under the Post-Doctoral Fellowship for Women? A: ₹58,000 a month in the first year, ₹61,000 in the second year and ₹67,000 from the third year, plus a ₹50,000 yearly contingency. Q2: For how many years is the fellowship given? A: For 5 years; it cannot be extended. Q3: Who can apply? A: Unemployed women PhD holders; age up to 55 years (5 years of relaxation for reserved categories); transgender applicants are also eligible. Q4: Where do I apply? A: On the frg.ugc.ac.in portal; applications open every year.