The National Dairy Research Institute at Karnal in Haryana, known as NDRI, is the country’s biggest dairy research institute. The Central Government’s NDRI Institute Scholarship gives a monthly scholarship to MSc and PhD students studying here. NDRI works under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, known as ICAR, and admission here is through the ICAR entrance examination. The institute is located at Karnal in Haryana, so students from the state can study at a national institute close to home. Students here get hands-on training in NDRI’s dairy farms, pilot plants and laboratories, which makes the degree strongly practical.
How much money is given
The scholarship amount depends on the course. Postgraduate students get ₹7,560 a month and doctoral students get ₹10,500 a month.
- For postgraduate students: ₹7,560 per month and ₹6,000 per year contingency grant
- For doctoral students: ₹10,500 per month
- For in-service PhD students: ₹1,000 per month
- ICAR JRF for postgraduates: ₹8,640 per month, ₹12,000 per month for veterinary
- ICAR JRF for PhD: ₹31,000 per month, SRF: ₹35,000 per month
- National Talent Scholarship: ₹1,000 per month for out-of-state students
Out-of-state students can also get the National Talent Scholarship of ₹1,000 a month, which is separate from the Institute Scholarship and is given on merit.
Who can apply
The eligibility conditions are as follows.
- Admission in an MSc or PhD course at NDRI Karnal
- Admission is through the ICAR AIEEA PG or NET examination
- A graduation degree for MSc and a postgraduation degree for PhD is needed
- Study in dairy science, animal husbandry, animal science or a related subject
- In-service students can also apply for PhD
- The scholarship is given for the duration of the course
How to apply
Admission is through the All India Entrance Examination of ICAR. The AIEEA PG examination is for MSc and the ICAR NET examination is for PhD. Admissions for the 2026-27 academic session are already complete. The next cycle for 2027-28 is expected between November and December 2026, but it has not been announced yet. Interested students should therefore keep checking the admission notification on the ICAR and NDRI websites. Once admitted, the scholarship applies automatically and no separate application is needed for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How much money is given under the NDRI Scholarship? A: MSc students get ₹7,560 a month and a ₹6,000 yearly contingency grant, and PhD students get ₹10,500 a month. Q2: How is admission done at NDRI? A: Admission is through the ICAR AIEEA PG examination (for MSc) and the ICAR NET examination (for PhD). Q3: When will admissions for 2027-28 open? A: The next cycle is expected between November and December 2026, but it has not been announced yet. Q4: What is the difference between ICAR JRF and the NDRI Scholarship? A: The NDRI Institute Scholarship is for NDRI’s own students, while ICAR JRF is the national ICAR fellowship, which gives ₹31,000 a month in PhD.
Useful links
- Scheme details on MyScheme: https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/ndriis
- NDRI website: https://www.ndri.res.in
- Also see — ICAR National Talent Scholarship for UG: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-icar-national-talent-scholarship-undergraduate-haryana/
- Also see — ICAR Post-Graduate Scholarship: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-icar-post-graduate-scholarship-haryana/
- Complete list of all 726 Central Government schemes: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/kendra-sarkar-ki-yojnayen-2/
