Checked 29 September 2026. Historic eligibility from archived Study in India pages (2020–2022) and PIB (2020); today's rules from the live Study in India FAQ and Eligibility page, the DASA UG and PG 2026 documents, the ICCR 2026-27 guidelines and scholarship pages, the MEA SPDC 2025-26 guidelines and the University of Allahabad 2026-27 rules, all checked 29 Sep 2026.
Who was allowed to sit PRAGATII changed every year it ran. Ind-SAT 2020 was a pilot for candidates from 13 listed countries in Asia and Africa, India included, who had already applied on the Study in India portal by 30 April 2020; PIB later reported that candidates from 12 foreign countries appeared. PRAGATII 2021 opened to "students from all countries". For 2022, the page asked only for a complete application with documents and said the exam would be held online "throughout the world" — no country list was published. None of this matters for a new applicant any more, because the exam has not been held since 2022. What does matter is the question underneath: does your passport status let you use Study in India, DASA or an ICCR scholarship? This guide answers both, with a checker at the end.
Status on 29 September 2026
No PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) has been held since 31 July 2022, and no official page has announced another. The official PRAGATII exam page now redirects to the Study in India home page. Nothing in this guide describes a 2026 sitting; where we give current information, it is about the routes that still exist.
Sources: archived Study in India pages, 2020–2021; PIB, 23 Jul 2020.
Eligibility, year by year
| Sitting | Who could sit | Extra condition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ind-SAT 2020 (22 Jul 2020) | Candidates from the 13 countries on the official list, India included (PIB later reported candidates from 12 foreign countries appeared) | SII application submitted before 30 April 2020 | SII Ind-SAT page (archived Jun 2020); PIB 23 Jul 2020 |
| PRAGATII 2021 (25 Jul 2021) | "Students from all countries" | Application submitted before the last date | SII PRAGATII page (archived Jul 2021) |
| PRAGATII 2022 (31 Jul 2022) | No country list published; exam "held in online mode throughout the world" | Complete form (registration and choice filling) with required documents | SII scholarship page (archived Nov 2022) |
| 2023 onwards | No sitting held | — | SII pages 2023–2026 |
The scholarship, not admission, was what PRAGATII decided. Even in 2020 the rules said that a scholarship did not guarantee admission: institutes made the final admission decision on their own criteria, and students who skipped the exam could still get an institute's tuition fee waiver.
The 2020 pilot: countries and exam times
The 2020 page published a shift for each country, in local time, for the originally planned date. Its official list had 13 countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. PIB's report the day after the exam named the 12 foreign countries whose candidates appeared. The page speaks of "candidates from" these countries; it does not set a citizenship test, so we do not read one into it.
| Country | PG shift (local time) | UG shift (local time) |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 1:00–2:30 PM | 1:00–2:30 PM (shift 1) |
| Bhutan | 1:00–2:30 PM | 4:00–5:30 PM (shift 2) |
| Ethiopia | 10:00–11:30 AM | 1:00–2:30 PM (shift 2) |
| India | 12:30–2:00 PM | 12:30–2:00 PM (shift 1) |
| Indonesia | 2:00–3:30 PM | 2:00–3:30 PM (shift 1) |
| Kenya | 10:00–11:30 AM | 1:00–2:30 PM (shift 2) |
| Mauritius | 11:00 AM–12:30 PM | 11:00 AM–12:30 PM (shift 1) |
| Nepal | 12:45–2:15 PM | 12:45–2:15 PM (shift 1) |
| Rwanda | 9:00–10:30 AM | 12:00–1:30 PM (shift 2) |
| Sri Lanka | 12:30–2:00 PM | 3:30–5:00 PM (shift 2) |
| Tanzania | 10:00–11:30 AM | 1:00–2:30 PM (shift 2) |
| Uganda | 10:00–11:30 AM | 1:00–2:30 PM (shift 2) |
| Zambia | 9:00–10:30 AM | 12:00–1:30 PM (shift 2) |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023–26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 listed countries | Yes | Yes | No list | No exam |
| Every other country | No | Yes | No list | No exam |
| NRIs (scholarship) | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | No exam |
Darker = clearly eligible. "No list" = the 2022 page gave no country list.
Our reading of the archived pages. The live FAQ says NRIs cannot get the SII Scholarship; it does not say from which year.
The 2020 proctoring accepted any one of six photo IDs: a passport, a driving licence, a local-government photo ID, an institute photo ID, an employer photo ID or a citizenship ID card. After the exam, students also had to have their documents verified: the Study in India site published a list of 233 SII IDs that had missed the 28 August 2020 deadline, each marked "Document Not Verified", and said they were no longer eligible for the scholarship.
| Rule (2020) | Official detail |
|---|---|
| Accepted photo IDs | Passport; driving licence; local-government photo ID; institute photo ID; employer photo ID; citizenship ID card |
| Document deadline after the exam | 28 August 2020 |
| Students dropped for unverified documents | 233 SII IDs, each "Document Not Verified" |
| Scholarship vs admission | A scholarship did not guarantee admission; institutes decided on their own criteria |
Where each passport status stands today
PRAGATII is gone, but the status question matters for every route that replaced it. The table below is built only from what each official source says. "Not stated" means the source is silent, not that you are excluded.
| Status | Study in India admission | Old SII Scholarship | DASA UG / PG | ICCR scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foreign national | Yes | Yes (closed after 2022-23) | Yes / Yes | Yes, if your country is on a scheme; not for medical, paramedical, law or integrated courses |
| OCI or PIO card holder (foreign passport) | Not stated by SII; the University of Allahabad treats them as foreign nationals | Not stated | Yes / Yes | Only with schooling up to Class XII completed abroad; for PG, no study in India in the preceding 3 academic years (5 for a PhD) |
| NRI (Indian citizen abroad) | Yes ("NRIs are now eligible") | No | UG: yes, with the same rule as other Indian nationals abroad (at least 2 years including 11th and 12th, within the last 8 years) / PG: any one of four routes — UG degree from abroad; NRI status for the last 3 years after an Indian UG degree; UG degree from a CFTI under DASA; or 11th and 12th abroad | Not stated |
| Indian citizen who studied abroad | Not stated | Not stated | UG: at least 2 years abroad including 11th and 12th, within the last 8 years / PG: yes if 11th and 12th were abroad (one of the four routes) | Not stated |
What each source actually says
- Study in India (live FAQ and Eligibility page): "NRIs are now eligible to apply … However, they will not be eligible for the SII Scholarship." OCI and PIO holders are not mentioned.
- University of Allahabad (2026-27): foreign nationals include PIO and OCI card holders who have taken the nationality of a foreign country; of its 20% supernumerary seats, 10% are for foreign nationals and 10% for NRIs.
- DASA UG 2026: for foreign nationals, NRIs and OCI/PIO holders, admitted on JEE (Main) 2026 ranks; no reservation except CIWG, which is only for NRIs with a parent working in specified Gulf countries.
- DASA PG 2026: M.Tech, M.Arch, M.Plan, M.Des and MURP (by GRE) and MBA (by GMAT). Open to foreign nationals and OCI/PIO holders with an undergraduate degree from any country; Indian nationals qualify through any one of four routes — a degree from outside India, NRI status held for the last 3 years after an Indian degree, a degree from a CFTI under the DASA Scheme, or 11th and 12th completed abroad.
- ICCR (2026-27 guidelines): apply on the A2A portal and submit through the Indian Embassy in your country. No scholarships for medical science, paramedical courses such as nursing and physiotherapy, law, or integrated courses such as the 5-year BA LLB. PIO/OCI applicants must have completed schooling up to Class XII abroad, and must not have studied in India in the preceding three academic years for PG or five for a PhD.
- SPDC (MEA, 2025-26 guidelines): undergraduate scholarships for children of NRIs, PIOs and OCIs, extended to all countries in 2022-23; age 17 to 21; 11th and 12th passed abroad.
| Route | Official eligibility wording | Condition for Indian nationals |
|---|---|---|
| DASA UG 2026 | Foreign nationals, NRIs, OCIs / PIOs; JEE (Main) 2026 ranks | At least 2 years of education abroad, including 11th and 12th, in the last 8 years |
| DASA PG 2026 | Foreign nationals, OCI/PIOs with an undergraduate degree from any country (including India); M.Tech, M.Arch, M.Plan, M.Des, MURP by GRE and MBA by GMAT | UG degree abroad; or NRI status for the last 3 years after an Indian UG degree; or a UG degree from a CFTI under DASA; or an Indian UG degree with 11th and 12th abroad |
| DASA CIWG seats | Only NRIs with either or both parents working in specified Gulf countries | OCI/PIO holders are not eligible for CIWG |
| Study in India | Foreign students; NRIs now eligible | NRIs not eligible for the SII Scholarship |
| ICCR (2026-27) | Apply through the Indian Mission in your country. PIO/OCI applicants: schooling up to Class XII abroad; no study in India in the preceding 3 academic years for PG (5 for PhD) | Not stated |
| SPDC (MEA, 2025-26) | Children of NRIs, PIOs and OCIs, and of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries; age 17 to 21; at least 60% in 10+2 | NRI children qualify; 11th and 12th passed abroad (except ECR workers' children who studied in India) |
Check your own routes
Which routes are open to you? Eligibility checker
Pick your passport status, level and field. The answer uses only the official rules in the tables on this page; where a source is silent, it says so rather than guessing.
Our summary of the official rules. PRAGATII itself is not an option: no sitting has been held since 31 July 2022. Always confirm with the institute before you apply.
Where other pages get this wrong
Anyone can still sit PRAGATII.
Commonly published instead: pages listing PRAGATII 2025 or 2026 eligibility, age limits or an application window.
No sitting has been held since 31 July 2022, and the scholarship it decided was awarded for 2022-23 only. There is no current eligibility to meet.
Where other pages get this wrong
NRIs could win the SII Scholarship.
Commonly published instead: pages that say NRIs and foreign nationals had equal access to the scholarship.
The live Study in India FAQ says NRIs may apply for admission but are not eligible for the SII Scholarship.
Practise it, don't just read it
The free quizzes on this page still cover the aptitude skills PRAGATII tested.
The ProSyllabus PRAGATII library has ten topic quizzes across the three old sections: Verbal (sentence correction, reading-comprehension inference), Quantitative (percentages, averages, time-speed-distance, simple and compound interest, number series) and Logical (syllogisms, coding-decoding, blood relations).
Which countries could take Ind-SAT 2020?
The official page listed 13: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mauritius, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Candidates needed an SII application submitted before 30 April 2020. PIB later reported that candidates from the 12 foreign countries on that list appeared.
Was PRAGATII open to all countries?
In 2021, yes: the official page said students from all countries could take it. For 2022 no country list was published. No sitting has been held since 31 July 2022.
Can NRIs apply through Study in India?
Yes. The live FAQ says NRIs are now eligible to apply, but not for the SII Scholarship.
Can OCI card holders apply through Study in India?
The Study in India pages do not mention OCI or PIO holders. Ask the institute. The University of Allahabad counts OCI and PIO holders with a foreign nationality as foreign nationals.
Can OCI or PIO holders get an ICCR scholarship?
The ICCR 2026-27 guidelines allow it only if they completed schooling up to Class XII abroad, and, for PG, did not study in India in the preceding three academic years (five for a PhD).
Can OCI or PIO holders apply for DASA?
Yes. DASA UG 2026 and DASA PG 2026 both name OCI and PIO holders as eligible. OCI/PIO holders are not eligible for the CIWG seats, which are for NRIs only.
Can an Indian citizen who studied abroad use DASA?
For UG, yes, with at least two years of education abroad, including 11th and 12th, within the last eight years. For PG, the brochure lists four routes: a UG degree from abroad, NRI status for three years after an Indian degree, a UG degree from a CFTI under DASA, or 11th and 12th completed abroad.
Did a PRAGATII scholarship guarantee admission?
No. The official page said receiving a scholarship did not ensure admission; institutes made the final decision on their own criteria.
What ID was needed for the 2020 online exam?
Any one of: passport, driving licence, local-government photo ID, institute photo ID, employer photo ID or citizenship ID card.
More in this series
- Is PRAGATII still held? 2020–2026
- PRAGATII pattern and the official mock
- SII scholarship vs fee waiver (G1–G4)
- Study in India portal: steps and dates
- After PRAGATII: Study in India vs ICCR vs DASA
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) news and alerts
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) exam alerts and updates
- Parental advice for PRAGATII preparation
- PRAGATII (Ind-SAT) previous year papers
Sources
- official — PIB — First Ind-SAT exam held on 22 July 2020 (23 Jul 2020)
- official — Study in India — Ind-SAT 2020 page (Wayback, 18 Jun 2020)
- official — Study in India — PRAGATII 2021 page (Wayback, 24 Jul 2021)
- official — Study in India — Scholarship and fee waivers, USD 3200 (Wayback, 28 Nov 2022)
- official — Study in India — SII scholarship "not eligible" list, document deadline 28 Aug 2020 (PDF, Wayback)
- official — Study in India — FAQ (live, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- official — Study in India — Eligibility Criteria (live)
- official — University of Allahabad — international students admission notice 2026-27
- official — DASA & CSAB Special Rounds 2026 — DASA UG questions and answers (CSAB)
- official — DASA PG 2026 — Information Brochure v1.1 (1 Jun 2026)
- official — ICCR — Scholarships Academic Year 2026-27: Guidelines/Rules for Foreign Students (PDF)
- official — ICCR — ICCR Scholarship Programme
- official — ICCR — Scholarship FAQs
- official — MEA — Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) guidelines 2025-26 (PDF)
- official — Study in India — old PRAGATII exam page (now redirects to the home page)
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
