Scholarship
Research and Development Programme in Water Sector(RDPWS)
Eligibility
The applicant must be an academician or expert working in Indian Institutes of Technology, recognized universities, recognized engineering and agricultural colleges, or Water and Land Management Institutes.
Region
All India
Award
Cash
By Expertie Editorial Team · Expertie editorial desk
Overview
About RDPWS
The Research and Development Programme in Water Sector is a central research-funding scheme run by the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, which sits under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. It supports research meant to address practical problems in India's water sector, and its funding takes the form of Grants-in-Aid rather than a loan or a subsidy.
At the national level the department carries out water research through four central institutions: the Central Water and Power Research Station in Pune, the Central Soil and Materials Research Station and the Central Water Commission in New Delhi, and the National Institute of Hydrology in Roorkee. Beyond these, it sponsors projects at IITs, universities, recognised R&D laboratories, the water resources and irrigation departments of the central and state governments, and non-governmental organisations. Proposals are routed through three Indian National Committees that identify the priority areas for study.
The programme is aimed at researchers and institutions, not at individual students looking for personal financial aid. Grants fund basic, applied and action research projects in the water sector, so the people who benefit are academicians, universities, laboratories, government departments and NGOs taking up approved work. If you are a student, this scheme matters mainly as a route to funded research positions and projects inside a host institution rather than as a scholarship you apply for directly.
Sources: myScheme - Research and Development Programme in Water Sector · Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation - Research & Development Programme in Water Sector
Who runs it
Provider
Ministry Of Water Resources,River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation
Central Government
Central Sector Scheme
At a glance
Key details
| Level | Central |
| Scheme type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Category | Science, IT & Communications |
| Beneficiaries | University / Institution, Government Organisation, Individual, NGO |
| Benefit type | Cash |
| Application mode | Offline |
Calendar
Important dates
Across all open application cycles.
| Cycle | Stage | Date |
|---|
Who can apply
Eligibility criteria
| The applicant must be an academician or expert working in Indian Institutes of Technology, recognized universities, recognized engineering and agricultural colleges, or Water and Land Management Institutes. | |
| The applicant must be an expert from an organization under the Ministry Of Water Resources or from a research and development institute or laboratory of the Central or State Government. | |
| The applicant must be from an Indian Non-Governmental Organization registered under the relevant Society Act. | |
| The applicant must be from a non-profit making recognized Indian Private Research and Development Institution registered with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. | |
| The applicant must propose a research topic that falls within the subject domain or priority areas related to the respective Indian National Committee. | |
| The applicant must ensure the proposed research has not been done elsewhere to avoid duplication. | |
| The applicant must identify the probable users of the new technology and end-users of the results of the proposed research. | |
| The applicant must not seek funding for foreign travel, salaries of regular employees of the institute, or honorariums for investigators. | |
| The applicant must not utilize the grant for the construction, maintenance, or repair of buildings, or the purchase of vehicles and air conditioners. | |
| The applicant must complete any previous ongoing research projects funded by the Ministry of Water Resources before a new research proposal can be considered. | |
| The applicant must be an Indian citizen to be eligible for research fellowships and associateships. | |
| The applicant must ensure the upper age limit for Junior Research Fellow, Senior Research Fellow, and Research Associate is 28, 32, and 35 years respectively on the day of application. | |
| The applicant should associate a Co-Principal Investigator in the research scheme. | |
| Post-Selection Conditions | |
| The applicant must execute a bond with two sureties to the President of India if applying as a Non-Governmental Organization. | |
| The applicant must maintain a separate audited account and register for permanent or semi-permanent assets acquired solely out of the project grant. | |
| The applicant must publish research papers emerging out of the research scheme in leading journals with prior approval of the Ministry of Water Resources. | |
| The applicant must acknowledge the assistance received from the funding agency in all publications and patent findings. | |
| The applicant should note that the upper age limit for fellowships is relaxable for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Women, and physically handicapped candidates. |
What you get
Award & benefits
- The scheme provides Grants-in-Aid for Basic Research, Applied Research, and Action Research.
- The scheme provides remuneration and emoluments for research personnel assisting the investigators.
- The revised monthly emoluments are ₹25,000/- for a Junior Research Fellow, ₹28,000/- for a Senior Research Fellow, and ₹36,000/- to ₹40,000/- for Research Associates across different levels.
- The grant funds the cost of conducting experiments, including consumables, wages for full-time non-research personnel, and third-party services like typing and lab analysis.
- The grant provides travel expenses connected with the research, including one long-distance journey by one person once a year for attending a research and development session or committee meeting.
- The scheme provides infrastructure funding for the purchase of equipment of a permanent nature, software, and necessary meteorological or satellite data.
- The scheme provides overhead charges to the host institute for facilities like infrastructure, staff, water, electricity, and communication.
- For projects costing up to ₹1,00,00,000/-, overhead charges are provided at 10% of the total cost for educational institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations, and at 8% for laboratories and institutions under Central Government Departments.
- The scheme provides a contingency budget provision up to 5% of the total cost or ₹1,00,00,000/- (whichever is less) for unforeseen situations.
- Funds are provided by direct transfer of money into the bank account of the appropriate authority in the institute.
- The funds are released in installments commensurate with the progress of the work and actual requirements during the financial year.
- The beneficiary institute must provide full infrastructural facilities by way of accommodation, water, electricity, and communication for the smooth implementation of the project.
- Non-Governmental Organizations and Private Institutions must bear 50% of the equipment cost from their own resources.
- The overhead expenses shall actually be paid to the institute by the Ministry Of Water Resources only after the completion of the research scheme and the acceptance of the final report.
- The Principal Investigator must submit an annual progress report indicating milestones achieved and a utilization certificate to the concerned Indian National Committee on or before the 30th of June every year to receive further installments.
- The Principal Investigator must refund any unspent balance or unused funds along with interest accrued to the Pay and Accounts Office via a crossed demand draft after the completion of the scheme.
What to prepare
Documents required
Complete Research Proposal (five copies in print format and a soft copy in PDF and Word format)
Brief Bio-Data of Principal Investigator and Co-Principal Investigator
Views of End Users (certificate from two end users)
Endorsement from the Head of the Institution
Undertaking from the Collaborating Institution (required only for multi-institutional proposals)
Proforma Invoices or Budgetary Quotations (required for equipment and commercial items costing more than ₹1,000/-)
Copy of Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations (required only for Non-Governmental Organizations)
Certificate from the Appropriate Registrar Demonstrating Submission of Audited Accounts for the Last Three Financial Years (required only for Non-Governmental Organizations)
Copy of Income Tax Returns for the Previous Three Financial Years (required only for Non-Governmental Organizations)
Affidavit Stating That the Organization Has Not Been Blacklisted by Any Government Agency (required only for Non-Governmental Organizations)
Acceptance of the Terms and Conditions of Grant
Bond with Two Sureties (required only for Non-Governmental Organizations before the release of grants)
Annual Progress Report (includes a brief narrative report and the proforma for progress)
Utilization Certificate in Form GFR 19-A
Statement of Head-Wise Expenditure
Statement of Equipment Purchased
Certificate Stating That Research Staff Has Been Engaged in Accordance with Norms
Certificate Stating That the Grant Does Not Relate to the Same Staff Structure for Which Another Grant Has Been Allowed
Draft Completion Report (five copies)
Final Completion Report (five copies in print format and a soft copy)
Complete Source Code and User Manual in Print and Soft Copy (required only if software or computer programmes are developed as part of the project)
Step by step
How to apply
- 1Apply offline
See the official links below for the application portal.
Source
Official links
Questions
RDPWS – FAQ
Private entities and Non-Governmental Organizations are required to bear 50% of the equipment costs from their own resources, as the grant will only cover half of these expenses.
Yes, the upper age limit is 28 years for a Junior Research Fellow, 32 years for a Senior Research Fellow, and 35 years for a Research Associate, with standard relaxations for certain categories.
No, the grant strictly prohibits funding for foreign travel, and you must not seek any financial support or budget allowances for international journeys or overseas collaboration.
You must identify probable users of your new technology and include formal certificates from at least two specific end-users along with your submitted proposal.
You cannot seek funding for a new proposal if you have an ongoing project. Only one proposal is considered at a time, and previous projects must be fully completed first.
The grant funds cannot be utilized for the construction, maintenance, or repair of buildings, nor can they be used to purchase vehicles or air conditioners.
Non-Governmental Organizations must have been in active operation for not less than three years following their official date of registration to be considered eligible for this funding.
No, overhead charges are only provided to public funded institutes. Private institutions and universities are not eligible to receive any funds for institutional overhead expenses.
Yes, only Indian citizens are eligible to be awarded research fellowships and associateships, so foreign nationals cannot be appointed to these funded positions.
For Non-Governmental Organizations, the payment of salary to their personnel from the grant funds is strictly capped and must not exceed ₹25,000/- per annum in each individual case.
You may include a contingency budget provision of up to 5% of the total cost of the four main expenditure heads, or ₹1,00,000/-, whichever amount is less.
A Junior Research Fellow meeting those precise educational and examination criteria is entitled to a monthly emolument of ₹25,000/- during the initial two years of the project.
Yes, Non-Governmental Organizations are mandatorily required to execute a formal bond with two acceptable sureties to the President of India before any funds can be disbursed.
While extensions are discouraged, in highly deserving cases where valid reasons exist, the maximum total time extension granted for project completion will not exceed two years.
Disclaimer
Scheme details are compiled from myScheme, the Government of India’s official scheme-discovery platform, and are reproduced without alteration. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility change between cycles — always confirm on the official links above before applying. Expertie does not process applications or charge fees.
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