Prathibha Scholarship Programme, Kerala 2024‑25

The KSCSTE Prathibha Scholarship is a Kerala state award for students who want to study basic or natural sciences. The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) runs it for students of Kerala origin who did well in the Higher Secondary Examination. Successful applicants receive between Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 60,000 a year, with the amount rising as the course goes on.

To apply, you need Kerala origin, high marks and admission to a science degree course. The latest cycle on the official pages is 2024-25, and applications ran online from 05 May 2025 to 05 June 2025. The official pages I read do not show a 2026-27 notice yet, so check the KSCSTE website for a new notification before you plan your application.

What you get

The 2024-25 guidelines set these yearly amounts:

The terms and conditions form lists first year PG at Rs. 60,000 for students who did a 4-year UG (Hons). The scheme guidelines put first year PG at Rs. 40,000. Ask KSCSTE which figure applies to you before you plan around either.

The scholarship runs for a maximum of 5 years, counting UG and PG courses together, subject to renewal rules. Scholars also get chances to attend science enrichment programmes and summer internships in leading R&D institutions in Kerala.

Who can apply

• You must be of Kerala origin and have passed the Higher Secondary Examination from Kerala.
• General category applicants need 90% aggregate and 90% in science subjects. SC and ST applicants need 80% in both.
• You need admission to a 3-year UG, 4-year UG (FYUGP), 4-year UG (Hons) or 5-year integrated PG programme in Basic or Natural Sciences. The guidelines tie this admission to 2024-25.
• Your main subject must be one of the 24 subjects listed in the guidelines. These fall under mathematical sciences, physical sciences and life sciences.
• Another scholarship blocks you. Students who hold or have been selected for any other scholarship cannot apply for or receive this one.
• The official sources I read do not set an age limit or a family income limit.
• Students who miss any of the rules above cannot apply.

How to apply

1. Create your registration online on the Prathibha scholarship web portal before the deadline in that year’s KSCSTE notice. Only online submission is accepted, and KSCSTE prepares the Provisional Selection List from the portal applications.
2. Keep a working mobile number and email for the whole process. Have a passport-size photo ready at 150 by 200 pixels. Your email and mobile must stay active throughout selection.
3. Enter your name, date of birth, email and HSE roll number. Confirm the OTP sent to your phone and set a password of at least six characters.
4. An application number is generated, and it arrives with your password on your registered mobile for later logins.
5. Check for the Provisional Rank List. KSCSTE usually publishes it in March or April.
6. If your name is on the list, upload your documents on the portal within the time the website gives. Only applications with complete documents within the timeline are considered for final ranking.
7. After verification, KSCSTE issues a sanction order for the first instalment, and the money goes to your bank account by NEFT.

For queries, contact the scientist in charge of the Prathibha Scholarship at Sasthra Bhavan, Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram 695004. The phone number is +91-471-2548402 and the email is wsd1kscste@gmail.com.

Documents you need

• A signed data sheet, endorsed by the head of your institution. KSCSTE sends the format to selected students.
• A self-attested copy of your HSE mark list. This is the copy of the HSE mark list.
• The terms and conditions form, signed in the specified format.
• Proof of Kerala origin. The guidelines call this proof of place of birth.
• A community certificate, for SC and ST students only.
• The e-payment form in the prescribed format.

Selected students submit these documents in both hard and soft copies for confirmation.

How students are selected

KSCSTE ranks applicants on the aggregate marks from their Higher Secondary science subjects. Applicants are then grouped by main subject into three groups. The 2024-25 guidelines set the seats at 30% for Mathematical Sciences, 40% for Physical Sciences and 30% for Life Sciences. The programme page says the group weightage is proportional to the number of applications received in each subject area. Check your year’s notice to see which rule applies.

10% of the total seats are set apart for SC and ST students. At least 50% of seats go to girl students.

Triple main students must pick one subject category for ranking, and they cannot change it after they submit.

Shortlisted students submit their documents, and the final rank list follows verification.

Renewal

• For the second and third year of UG, and the second year of PG or fifth year of integrated PG, renewal depends on meeting the minimum credit requirement under the UGC framework for the previous year, plus previous mark lists and a signed renewal data sheet.
• For the fourth year UG (Hons), PG or fourth year integrated PG, continuation needs the same credit rule, plus a consolidated mark list.
• To move from UG to PG, you need at least 75% marks in UG, and you must have received the scholarship in all 3 years of UG.
• If you miss the minimum marks or fail a subject in a year, you are not eligible for the scholarship in the following year.
• The course must be continuous, and a discontinued course must be reported to KSCSTE within 15 working days through the head of the institution.

An undated guidelines file on the KSCSTE site still refers to a minimum of 60% marks for the previous year of the course for renewal, and it lists 23 subjects. The 2024-25 guidelines are the newer document, so confirm the current rule with KSCSTE.

Important dates

• 2024-25 applications: 5 May 2025 to 5 June 2025.
• The final rank list for 2024-25 is on the KSCSTE site.
• Applications follow the KSCSTE notification issued every year. An older undated guidelines file says these normally open during January, but the 2024-25 window ran in May and June.
• For 2026-27, the official pages I read show no notice or date yet.