Expertie

Scholarship

Scheme For Award Of Senior/Junior Fellowships To Outstanding Persons In The Fields Of Culture(SASJFOPFC)

Cash
Eligibility
The age of the applicant should be above 40 years for applying under senior fellowships.
Region
All India
Award
Cash
By Expertie Editorial Team · Expertie editorial desk

Overview

About SASJFOPFC

The Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture is a central scheme run by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. As its name sets out, it awards fellowships in two tiers, senior and junior, to individuals working in cultural fields, with the benefit paid to the recipient as a cash fellowship.

The Ministry of Culture is the Union government's nodal body for the preservation and promotion of India's art and culture; it began as the Department of Culture in 1971 and has run as a standalone ministry since 2006. These fellowships fall under that remit, backing individuals and their work in the fields of culture.

The scheme is meant for individuals rather than institutions, and it is open across the country. The eligibility conditions and the terms that separate the senior and junior categories are set by the Ministry of Culture, so read those in full before you apply.

Sources: myScheme - Scheme for Award of Senior/Junior Fellowships to Outstanding Persons in the Fields of Culture (Ministry of Culture) · Wikipedia - Ministry of Culture (India)

Who runs it

Provider

Ministry Of Culture

Central Government

Central Sector Scheme

At a glance

Key details

LevelCentral
Scheme typeCentral Sector Scheme
CategorySports & Culture
BeneficiariesArtists
Benefit typeCash
Application modeOnline

Calendar

Important dates

Across all open application cycles.

Important dates by cycle
CycleStageDate

Who can apply

Eligibility criteria

The age of the applicant should be above 40 years for applying under senior fellowships.
The age of the applicant should be between 25-40 years for applying under junior fellowships.
Graduation is the minimum educational qualification for applicants in the fields/areas mentioned in the scheme guideline.
Applicants for senior fellowship should not be the recipient of pension from the Ministry of Culture under the scheme for grant of financial assistance to artists in indigent circumstances.
An applicant should not have availed of the same fellowship earlier. However, an applicant who had been awarded a Junior Fellowship can apply for a Senior Fellowship, provided 5 years have elapsed after the closure of the earlier project.
Note 01: The age of the applicant will be reckoned as of 1st April of the year.
Note 02: Under the Senior and Junior Fellowships, the awardees will submit a six-monthly progress report. In cases where such reports are not received timely, the Ministry may withhold further releases of the Fellowship amount.
Note 03: The selected candidates will have to undertake academic or application-oriented research work on projects for which they have been awarded the Fellowship. They will complete their Projects within two years and submit the same to the Ministry. Extension of time by a maximum of three months will be permissible without any additional financial liability to the Government.
Note 04: A mid-term review/assessment of performance in each case will be carried out after one year and further continuance of Fellowship will depend on such review/assessment.

Who cannot apply

Exclusions

  • The fellowships are not intended for providing training, conducting workshops, seminars, documenting memoirs/or writing autobiographies, fiction, etc.

What you get

Award & benefits

  • The number of fellowships will be up to 400 each year. These are of two types, namely, senior and junior fellowships.
  • Senior Fellowship: Number of fellowships: 200
  • Monthly amount: ₹20,000
  • Age group: Above 40 years
  • Junior Fellowship: Number of fellowships: 200
  • Monthly amount: ₹10,000
  • Age group: 25–40 years
  • Age is calculated as on 1st April of the given year
  • In addition, there could be a one time grant up to maximum of ₹20,000/- or 50% of the cost of the publication, whichever is less, for publication of selected Project documents. This will be restricted to 20% of the awardees.

What to prepare

Documents required

Identity proof
Passport size photographs
Proof of age i.e. Birth Certificate etc.
Documents of educational qualifications
Bank account details
Caste certificate
NOC/consent letter of their employer (In case of employed applicants )
If the applicant is employed in the Central/State Government Departments/Institutions/University etc., a copy of written assurance from his/her Head of Department that in case the Fellowship is sanctioned, the candidate would be granted leave for the duration of the Fellowship.
An undertaking :
a. Whether you are employed in the Central/State Government Departments/Institutions/University etc or not employed by any organization.
b. Whether you have availed of Junior Fellowship earlier.

Step by step

How to apply

  1. 1
    Apply online

    http://csms.nic.in/login/index.php

Questions

SASJFOPFC – FAQ

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.

Written by

Expertie Editorial Team

Expertie editorial desk

Published 8 Jul 2026 Last updated 8 Jul 2026verified data

Sources & References

  1. 1.myScheme (MeitY, Government of India) official-site· accessed 2026-07-08