Vidyadhan Scholarship 2026-27 (Sarojini Damodaran Foundation)
Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF)
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About This Scholarship
Vidyadhan is a scholarship programme of the Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF), set up by Kumari Shibulal and S.D. Shibulal, co-founder and former CEO of Infosys. It supports meritorious students from economically disadvantaged families. Students are selected after Class 10 through a test and an interview for Classes 11 and 12, and then for any degree course if they continue to do well. The programme began in 1999; for 2026-27 the website reports 14,000+ students in 26 states and union territories and 77,500+ scholarships awarded in total.
Each state runs its own Class 11 programme, and applicants from one state cannot apply to another. On 5 October 2026 every Class 11 programme for 2026 showed Program Closed, with applications being processed and the final list due on or before 31 December 2026. Applications for the next year open after the Class 10 results are published; no date is announced. The only programme still accepting applications was the Shrimati Sadhana Khaitan Vidyadhan Scholarship for Women in STEM, for Mathura district in Uttar Pradesh, which closes on 25 October 2026.
Degree-course scholarships range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 a year depending on the state, course and duration; the home page of the website still says Rs 10,000 to Rs 60,000. Funds come directly from the Foundation or from external sponsors registered with it. Applications are free, and the Foundation states that no other person or institution is authorised to select students on its behalf.
At a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF), an NGO |
| Level | Class 11 and 12, then degree courses |
| Amount | Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 a year for degree courses |
| Eligibility (2026 Class 11) | Family income below Rs 3,00,000; at least 70% in Class 10 (85% or 9+ CGPA for CBSE; 60% with disability) |
| 2026 Class 11 programmes | Closed in all states; final list on or before 31 December 2026 |
| Open on 5 October 2026 | Mathura Women in STEM programme (Uttar Pradesh), last date 25 October 2026 |
| Next Class 11 intake | After the Class 10 results are published; date not announced |
| Portal | vidyadhan.org/apply |
Sources: Vidyadhan apply page, Vidyadhan Scholarship 2026 notice, Vidyadhan home page, Vidyadhan about page. Checked on 5 October 2026.
Provider
Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF)
Type
Merit-based
Level
Post-Matric
Duration
Two years (Class 11-12), then a degree course if performance holds
Two years (Class 11-12), then a degree course if performance holds
Duration
Scholarship of Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 a year for degree courses, depending on state, course and duration; Class 11-12 amount by state programme is not stated on the pages read; mentoring and training for selected students
Coverage
Eligibility Criteria
| Criterion | Requirement (2026 Class 11 programmes) |
|---|---|
| Family income | Annual family income below Rs 3,00,000 |
| Class 10 | Completed in 2026 with at least 70% in the state board examination; 85% or 9+ CGPA for CBSE students; 60% for students with disability |
| State | Apply to the programme of the home state; applicants from one state cannot apply to another state |
| Mathura STEM programme | Female students from Mathura district (Class 12 school or present institution in the district) in MBBS, engineering, BSc or other STEM courses, with at least 70% in Class 12 (60% with disability), first-year admission in 2026-27 and family income below Rs 3 lakh |
- The Class 11 criteria come from the Foundation's 2026 notice (Nagaland version); notices of other states may differ.
- No other person or institution is authorised to select students on behalf of the Foundation.
Source: Vidyadhan Scholarship 2026 notice and apply page.
Minimum Marks
70%
Eligible Categories
Scholarship Benefits
Financial Support
INR 10,000 - 75,000
Disbursement: Yearly amounts, paid directly by the Foundation or by external sponsors registered with it
What's Covered
| Stage | Amount |
|---|---|
| Classes 11 and 12 | Two-year scholarship from the Foundation; the amount by state programme is not stated on the pages read |
| Degree courses | Rs 10,000 to Rs 75,000 a year, by state, course and duration |
| Mathura STEM programme | Rs 15,000 to Rs 75,000 a year by course, till the course ends, subject to satisfactory academic performance |
| Mentoring and training | Mentoring programmes, residential training on life skills, career orientation and employability, and online coaching for competitive exams |
Scholarships for degree courses are paid directly by the Foundation or by external sponsors registered with it.
How to Apply
Application Guide
- Keep a personal email ID ready; an ID of a cyber cafe or internet centre must not be used, because all communication goes to the registered ID.
- Open https://www.vidyadhan.org/apply (or the SDF Vidya App) and register with the email ID, the first name and last name as in the educational records, and a Vidyadhan password of at least 8 characters.
- Open the activation email, click the activation link and log in with the email ID and the Vidyadhan password.
- Choose the scholarship programme of the student's own state from the list of open programmes and create the application; it can be edited later with Edit Application.
- Submit the application; the message Submission Successful appears, but the application is complete only after the mandatory documents and the photograph are uploaded.
- Check the registered email regularly for tests, interviews and other messages from the Foundation.
Selection Process
Eligible applicants take a screening test and an interview before final selection. For the 2026 Class 11 programmes the final list of selected students is due on or before 31 December 2026, and interview dates are intimated to shortlisted candidates between July and November 2026, state by state. Selected students get a two-year scholarship from the Foundation; if they continue to do well, scholarships continue for any degree course, funded directly by the Foundation or by external sponsors registered with it. Selected students must attend mentoring programmes.
| 2026 Class 11 programme | Screening test |
|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh (Intermediate 1st year) | 19 July 2026 |
| Bihar (Plus-2 1st year) | 19 July 2026 |
| Chhattisgarh (11th) | 13 September 2026 |
| Daman and Diu (11th) | 27 September 2026 |
| Delhi (11th) | 16 August 2026 |
| Goa (11th) | 2 August 2026 |
| Haryana and Chandigarh (11th) | 16 August 2026 |
| Himachal Pradesh (11th) | 16 August 2026 |
| Jammu and Kashmir (11th) | No test date shown; interviews 1 to 10 November 2026 |
| Jharkhand (Intermediate) | 2 August 2026 |
| Karnataka (11th) | 9 August 2026 |
| Kerala (Plus 1) | 26 July 2026 |
| Ladakh (11th) | 4 October 2026 |
| Meghalaya (Plus 1) | 9 August 2026 |
| Nagaland (Plus 1) | 13 September 2026 |
| Odisha (Plus-2 1st year) | 9 August 2026 |
| Puducherry (Plus 1) | 2 August 2026 |
| Punjab (11th) | 16 August 2026 |
| Rajasthan (11th) | 13 September 2026 |
| SECMOLE Ladakh | 30 September 2026 |
| Tamil Nadu (Plus 1) | 2 August 2026 |
| Telangana (Intermediate 1st year) | 19 July 2026 |
| Uttar Pradesh (11th) | 9 August 2026 |
| West Bengal (Higher Secondary) | 2 August 2026 |
Applicants from one state cannot apply to the programme of another state.
Documents Required
Important Dates
Important dates will be announced soon. Check back later for updates.