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Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Cultural Exchange Scholarship Scheme (A1206)

February 01, 2026

Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Cultural Exchange Scholarship Scheme (A1206)

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), Government of India

Academic Year 2026–27

Overview of the Scheme

The Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Cultural Exchange Scholarship Scheme (A1206) is administered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) under the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The scheme is part of India’s cultural and academic exchange programmes aimed at strengthening educational cooperation and people-to-people ties with partner countries.

Under the scheme, foreign students are offered scholarships to pursue higher education at Indian universities and institutions across a wide range of academic disciplines.

According to the revised allocation issued by ICCR, the scheme covers 23 countries with a total of 116 scholarship slots, including 107 slots without airfare and 9 slots with airfare support.

Allocation for Cyprus

Under the scheme, Cyprus has been allocated two (2) scholarship slots.

The available scholarships are for:

Postgraduate (PG) programmes - 1
Doctoral (PhD) programmes -1

in recognised Indian universities and institutions. These scholarships are part of the group of countries without airfare support.

Streams of Study

Students may pursue studies in a broad range of STEM and non-STEM disciplines offered by participating Indian universities and institutes.

However, the following programmes are not admissible under the scheme:

(i). Medical programmes
Paramedical programmes (e.g., Nursing, Physiotherapy, Anaesthesia, etc.)
Law programmes
Integrated programmes (such as BA-LLB, BSc-MSc integrated courses)
(v). Fashion courses

Scholarship Benefits

Students selected under the scheme receive the following support in accordance with ICCR scholarship norms:

(i). Monthly stipend
House Rent Allowance (HRA)
Contingent allowance
Thesis / Dissertation allowance (where applicable)
(v). Tuition fee and other institutional charges paid to the university or institute

Expenses to be Borne by Students

Certain expenses are not covered under the scholarship and must be borne by the students themselves. These include:

(i). Hostel or private accommodation charges
Mess charges
Security deposit and caution money
Fees for obtaining certificates or documentation
(v). Registration fees or penalties with immigration authorities
Any other expenses not covered under ICCR scholarship norms

Application Portal

Applications for the scholarship must be submitted online through the ICCR A2A Scholarship Portal.(https://a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in). Applicants must register on the portal, upload required academic documents, and submit their applications online.

Applicants may choose up to five universities or institutions in order of preference.

Admission is granted by the universities based on their academic criteria and availability of seats.

Application Process

The application and admission process involves the following steps:

Students submit applications through the ICCR A2A Scholarship Portal.
Universities review the applications and communicate their admission decisions.
Indian Missions allocate scholarships to selected students based on available slots.
Offer letters are generated and issued to successful candidates.
Students confirm acceptance of the scholarship.
Students register on the Study in India (SII) portal to obtain a Unique ID and complete visa-related processes.

Timeline of the Application Process

The scholarship process follows a defined timeline:

Period	Activity
27 February – 15 April 2026	Opening of the A2A Portal for students to submit applications
27 February – 30 April 2026	Universities scrutinize applications and upload provisional admission confirmations on the portal
27 February – 15 May 2026	Indian Missions/Posts conduct the first round of scholarship selection
16 May – 10 June 2026	Second round of selection by Indian Missions/Posts against remaining vacant slots
June – August 2026	Indicative joining period for selected students in Indian universities as per the offer letter issued by the Indian Mission/Post

Eligibility Conditions

Applicants must satisfy the following basic eligibility requirements:

Age Limit

(i). Undergraduate / Postgraduate programmes: 18–40 years
(ii). PhD programmes: up to 50 years

Academic Qualifications

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria prescribed by the concerned Indian university.

Academic transcripts and certificates must be provided in English or accompanied by certified English translations.

Engineering Programmes

For BE / B.Tech programmes, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) in Grades 11 and 12 are mandatory.

English Language Requirement

Applicants must demonstrate adequate English proficiency.

Applicants are required to submit a 500-word essay in English as part of the application. Standardized English test scores such as TOEFL or IELTS may also be submitted if available.

Universities may also conduct online interviews as part of the admission process.

Medical Insurance Requirement

All ICCR scholarship recipients must obtain medical insurance with a minimum coverage of INR 5 lakh per annum.

Students may purchase insurance either before departure or after arrival in India through any approved insurance provider.

Accommodation

Students are generally encouraged to stay in university hostels, where available. However, private accommodation may also be permitted depending on the policies of the university.

Documentation and Verification

Students must submit the following documents during the admission process:

(i). Passport
(ii). Academic certificates and transcripts
Identification details
(iv). Any additional documents required by the university

All details entered in the scholarship portal must match the original documents. Any discrepancy may result in cancellation of admission.

Gyan Setu Scholarship Management System

ICCR operates the Gyan Setu application, a digital platform used to manage scholarship administration.

The platform is used for:

(i). Scholarship disbursement
Submission of student arrival details
Upload of joining reports
Coordination with universities

Students must upload the following details within 15 days of arrival in India:

(i). Passport number
Joining report
Bank account details
e-FRRO registration number

Participating Universities

ICCR has empanelled over 130 universities and higher education institutions in India for the scholarship programme. The list of participating universities is available on the ICCR A2A Scholarship Portal

https://a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in/assets/site/docs/universities.pdf.