Checked 29 September 2026. ICCR slots are for 2026-27 from the ICCR scheme page and 2026-27 guidelines; DASA figures from the DASA UG and PG 2026 documents; Study in India rules from the live FAQ; SPDC from the MEA 2025-26 guidelines; all checked 29 Sep 2026. ICCR allocations, DASA fees and SPDC rounds change each year.
PRAGATII used to be the way a foreign student won a government scholarship to study in India: sit an aptitude test, get ranked, receive up to USD 3500 a year. That test has not been held since 2022, and the Study in India site said the scholarship would be awarded only for 2022-23. This guide compares the three major official routes, and they are very different things. The Study in India portal is an admissions channel with institute fee waivers. ICCR is a government scholarship — tuition and a monthly stipend, with airfare only where the scheme provides it — with 4541 slots across 18 schemes for 2026-27, allocated country by country. DASA is a paid admission scheme for NITs, IIITs and similar institutes, by JEE (Main) rank for UG, and by GRE for most PG programmes and GMAT for the MBA. They are not the only ones: the Study in India Scholarships & Fellowships section also lists targeted programmes such as SPDC for diaspora children, COMPEX, ITEC and a doctoral fellowship for ASEAN countries, and we cover SPDC below. This guide puts the three side by side, shows the ICCR slots for the 12 foreign countries of the PRAGATII pilot, and ends with a route chooser.
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.
ICCR scheme page; DASA UG and PG 2026 documents; Study in India FAQ — all checked 29 Sep 2026.
The three routes, side by side
| Point | Study in India portal | ICCR scholarship | DASA (NITs, IIITs, SPAs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Admissions channel to 1200+ institutes | Government scholarship, admission handled through the A2A portal | Paid admission scheme for engineering, architecture and planning |
| Who selects you | Each institute, on previous academic scores | University admits; Indian Mission selects for the scholarship, on merit | Central allotment by rank |
| Test needed | None named by Study in India; institutes may ask for scores | None named; university criteria apply | UG: JEE (Main) 2026 rank. PG: GRE 280+ (GMAT 480+ for MBA) |
| Money | Institute tuition waiver of 10% to 100% | Tuition, stipend, HRA, contingency; airfare only where the scheme provides it | None; you pay the fees |
| Choices | At least 3, no upper limit; accept one offer | Up to 5 university options | Online choice filling, then rounds of allotment |
| Medicine and allied fields | No UG medicine; paramedical allowed | Excluded: medical science, paramedical courses such as nursing and physiotherapy, law and integrated courses (2026-27 guidelines) | Not offered |
| The old PRAGATII scholarship | Up to USD 3500 a year (2020-21), USD 3200 for 2022-23; awarded for 2022-23 only | Separate scheme, unaffected | Separate scheme, unaffected |
| Where to apply | studyinindia.gov.in | a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in, submitted through the Indian Embassy in your country | dasanit.org |
What each route actually pays for
| Cost | Study in India waiver | ICCR | DASA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition | 10% to 100% waived, set by the institute | Paid to the university | You pay: UG non-SAARC initial fee US$4300, which includes the US$300 registration fee; PG US$4,000 a semester on top of registration, US$2,000 for eligible SAARC nationals |
| Living costs | Not covered; the FAQ estimates about USD 400 a month | Monthly stipend and HRA | Not covered |
| Hostel and mess | Not covered | Paid by the student | Paid by the student; PG brochure: typically US$400 to US$800 a year |
| Books and stationery | Not covered | Annual contingency allowance | Not covered |
| Airfare | Not covered | Only where the scheme provides it; the ICCR FAQ says some schemes include an air ticket, not all | Not covered |
| Health | No insurance with the visa; advised | Health insurance policy required | Not stated |
| Registration | Not stated | FRRO fees and deposits paid by the student | US$300, non-refundable (for UG, part of the US$4300 initial fee) |
Two practical rules from ICCR's own FAQ are worth knowing before you choose it: ICCR scholars may not work in India while studying, and must leave India after receiving their provisional certificates. The Study in India FAQ similarly says there is no work visa after graduation.
ICCR 2026-27: 4541 slots across 18 schemes
| Scheme | Slots | Funded by |
|---|---|---|
| India-Africa Maitri (54 African countries) | 1503 | MEA |
| Special Scholarship Scheme for Afghan Nationals (online courses) | 1000 | MEA |
| Atal Bihari Vajpayee General (116 countries) | 554 | ICCR |
| Suborno Jayanti (Bangladesh) | 500 | ICCR |
| Mekong Ganga Cooperation (5 countries) | 235 | MEA |
| Aid to Sri Lanka | 200 | MEA |
| Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Cultural Exchange | 116 | ICCR |
| Lata Mangeshkar Dance and Music | 100 | ICCR |
| Sushma Swaraj Silver Jubilee (Nepal; 60 PG, 4 PhD) | 64 | MEA |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Bhutan) | 60 | MEA |
| Quad STEM (B.Tech at 8 institutes, AY 2025-26 to 2027-28) | 50 | MEA |
| AYUSH for BIMSTEC countries | 30 | MEA |
| AYUSH for South East Asian Region | 29 | Ministry of Ayush |
| AYUSH for non-BIMSTEC countries | 25 | Ministry of Ayush |
| Aid to Maldives | 20 | MEA |
| Kushok Bakula Rinpoche (Mongolia) | 20 | MEA |
| AYUSH for Malaysian nationals | 20 | Ministry of Ayush |
| Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Commonwealth | 15 | ICCR |
| Total | 4541 | — |
ICCR scheme-wise allocation for 2026-27. The remaining ten schemes have 15 to 64 slots each.
Every scheme on the page lists the same prohibited streams — medical, law and integrated courses — and the same charges left to the student: hostel or private accommodation, mess, security deposit, caution money, certificate fees and immigration registration fees.
ICCR slots for the 12 foreign countries of the PRAGATII pilot
If you are from one of the 12 foreign countries on the Ind-SAT 2020 list, this is where your country's ICCR slots sit for 2026-27. We show the scheme with each country's largest named allocation; some countries also have a handful of slots in smaller schemes, which we have not added up.
| Country | Main 2026-27 allocation | Scheme |
|---|---|---|
| Bangladesh | 500 | Suborno Jayanti |
| Sri Lanka | 200 | Aid to Sri Lanka |
| Tanzania | 135 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Ethiopia | 130 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Kenya | 100 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Nepal | 70 + 64 (134, our sum) | Atal Bihari Vajpayee General (70); Sushma Swaraj, PG and PhD only (64) |
| Uganda | 64 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Bhutan | 60 | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| Mauritius | 40 | India-Africa Maitri (Mauritius/Rodrigues) |
| Zambia | 35 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Rwanda | 25 | India-Africa Maitri |
| Indonesia | 20 | Atal Bihari Vajpayee General |
Our sum for Nepal (70 + 64 = 134).
The ICCR numbers disagree between two government sites
| Figure | ICCR site (2026-27) | Study in India scholarships page |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarships a year | More than 4500 (scheme table total: 4541) | More than 3000 |
| Number of schemes | 18 (5 ICCR, 10 MEA, 3 Ayush) | 21 (6 funded by ICCR) |
| Countries | Offered to 192 UN-recognised countries | 180+ |
| Students in India at any time | More than 8000, from around 150 countries | Not stated |
| Excluded streams | Overview: medicine and paramedical. Scheme pages: medical, law, integrated | Medicine |
The Study in India page is undated and names older schemes (for example separate Nehru, Maulana Azad and Rajiv Gandhi schemes for Sri Lanka) that do not appear as separate rows in the 2026-27 ICCR table, which lists a single "Aid to Sri Lanka" scheme. We trust the ICCR table for 2026-27 because it is ICCR's own, dated allocation.
DASA 2026 in numbers
| Item | DASA UG 2026 | DASA PG 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | US$300, non-refundable (included in the US$4300 initial fee) | US$300, non-refundable |
| Admission basis | JEE (Main) 2026 rank | GRE (Verbal + Quantitative) 280 or more; GMAT 480 or more for MBA; 60% or CGPA 6.00 |
| Tuition | Non-SAARC initial fee US$4300, including the US$300 registration fee (CSAB Q&A; SAARC and CIWG figures not in our source) | US$4,000 first-semester tuition on top of registration; US$2,000 for SAARC nationals who passed in a SAARC country |
| Our arithmetic: 4 semesters of PG tuition | — | US$16,000 non-SAARC; US$8,000 SAARC |
| Hostel and other expenses | Not stated in our source | Typically US$400 to US$800 a year |
| Pay in rupees? | Yes, at the existing exchange rate | Yes, at the existing exchange rate |
| 2026 PG schedule | — | Registration 13–24 Jun; merit list 4 Jul; Round I 10 Jul; Round II 21 Jul |
| Reservation | None except CIWG (NRIs with a parent in specified Gulf countries) | Not stated |
DASA quotes fees in US dollars and lets families pay the rupee equivalent at the rate on the day. We do not convert: the rupee figure depends on the rate when you pay.
One more route for diaspora children: SPDC
Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children — MEA guidelines for 2025-26
- Run by the Ministry of External Affairs since 2006-07 for children of PIOs, OCIs and NRIs; extended to children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries in 2015-16, and to children of PIOs, OCIs and NRIs from all countries in 2022-23.
- 150 scholarships a year, 50 of them for children of Indian workers in ECR countries. Undergraduate courses only.
- Age 17 to 21; 11th and 12th passed abroad with at least 60% (children of ECR workers who studied in India are the exception); household income limits apply. Selection is merit-cum-means.
- Pays 75% of the Institutional Economic Cost — tuition, hostel and other institutional charges, food excluded — up to US$4,000 a year.
- You apply in the first year of the course; for medical courses, in the second year.
These are the 2025-26 rules (last date 30 January 2026). Check the MEA notice for the current round before relying on them.
| SPDC point | MEA guidelines 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| Started | 2006-07 |
| Who | Children of NRIs, PIOs and OCIs from all countries (since 2022-23); children of Indian workers in 17 ECR countries |
| Number | 150 a year, 50 for children of ECR workers |
| Condition | Aged 17 to 21; 11th and 12th passed abroad with at least 60%; income limit |
| Amount | 75% of tuition, hostel and institutional charges, up to US$4,000 a year; food excluded |
| Level | Undergraduate only; medical students apply in the 2nd year |
| Last date, 2025-26 round | 30 January 2026 |
The undated SPDC description on the Study in India site is out of date: it still says 66 countries and that medical courses are excluded. The MEA's own 2025-26 guidelines say the scheme was opened to all countries in 2022-23 and let medical students apply in their second year, so we follow the MEA.
Choose your route
Route chooser: where should a foreign student start?
Answer four questions. The suggestions follow the official rules in the tables on this page — they are our reading, not an admission decision.
Where other pages get this wrong
PRAGATII was replaced by the ICCR scholarship (or by DASA).
Commonly published instead: pages presenting ICCR or DASA as "the new PRAGATII".
No official page says anything replaced PRAGATII. ICCR and DASA are separate, older schemes with their own rules; the Study in India site simply stopped holding the exam and, in November 2022, said no scholarship would be granted after 2022-23.
Practise it, don't just read it
If you are heading for DASA UG, JEE (Main) is the test that matters; the free aptitude quizzes here are only a warm-up.
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).
What replaced PRAGATII?
Officially, nothing. The exam stopped after 31 July 2022 and the scholarship was awarded for 2022-23 only. The Study in India portal still offers admission with institute fee waivers; ICCR and DASA are separate schemes.
How many ICCR scholarships are there for 2026-27?
4541 slots across 18 schemes, according to ICCR's 2026-27 scheme table. The Study in India site gives an older, lower figure of more than 3000 across 21 schemes.
Does ICCR cover MBBS?
No. The ICCR 2026-27 guidelines give no scholarships for medical science, paramedical courses such as nursing and physiotherapy, law, or integrated courses. For diaspora children, the MEA's SPDC let medical students apply in their second year in the 2025-26 round.
How do I apply for ICCR?
Register on the A2A portal (a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in), fill the form with up to five university options, and submit it through the Indian Embassy in your country.
What does DASA cost?
For UG, the non-SAARC initial fee is US$4300, which includes the US$300 non-refundable registration fee. For PG, US$300 registration plus US$4,000 first-semester tuition, or US$2,000 for eligible SAARC nationals.
Can I use Study in India and ICCR together?
They are separate applications with separate portals. ICCR admission runs through its own A2A portal; Study in India applications go through studyinindia.gov.in.
Does ICCR pay for hostel and food?
Not directly. ICCR pays a monthly stipend and HRA, but hostel, mess, deposits and FRRO fees are payable by the student.
Can I work in India on an ICCR scholarship?
No. ICCR's FAQ says scholars are not allowed to work in India while studying.
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
- Who could sit PRAGATII: countries, NRI, OCI
- 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 — ICCR — ICCR Scholarship Programme
- official — ICCR — Scholarship Programme 2026-27, scheme-wise allocation of slots
- official — ICCR — Scholarships Academic Year 2026-27: Guidelines/Rules for Foreign Students (PDF)
- official — ICCR — Scholarship FAQs
- official — ICCR — A2A (Admission to Alumni) scholarship portal
- official — DASA & CSAB Special Rounds 2026 — DASA UG questions and answers (CSAB)
- official — DASA PG 2026 — Information Brochure v1.1 (1 Jun 2026)
- official — MEA — Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) guidelines 2025-26 (PDF)
- official — Study in India — FAQ (live, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- official — Study in India — home page (live, checked 29 Sep 2026)
- official — Study in India — Scholarships & Fellowships (live)
- official — PIB — First Ind-SAT exam held on 22 July 2020 (23 Jul 2020)
- official — Study in India — Scholarship and fee waivers, USD 3200 (Wayback, 28 Nov 2022)
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.
