ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27: 2,000 Scholarships — Eligibility, Documents and How to Apply

Every year, thousands of bright students score well in their exams and then get stuck on the same question – how will the family pay for the next stage of education? The fees of a professional course such as Engineering or MBBS, hostel charges and the cost of books can be a heavy burden for many families. In such a situation, a scholarship from a large public-sector company is not only financial help, it is also the confidence to keep going.

That confidence has a name – the ONGC Merit Scholarship. It is offered by the ONGC Foundation, the social arm of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). Its aim is to help meritorious students from economically weaker families complete their professional education.

In this guide you will find the complete information about this scholarship in one place. As you read on, you will learn which courses are eligible, how many seats are available in each category, what the marks and income conditions are, how seats are divided zone-wise, which documents you need, and why sending a hard copy after filling the online form is compulsory. At the end, answers to the most frequently asked questions are given, so that you can apply without making a mistake.

ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27 at a Glance

Particulars	Details
Scholarship name	ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27
Offered by	ONGC Foundation (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation)
Total scholarships	2,000
Scholarship amount	Rs 48,000 per year (equivalent to Rs 4,000 per month)
Open to	SC, ST, OBC and General (EWS) category students
Eligible courses	Engineering, MBBS, MBA, Master’s in Geology or Geophysics
Minimum marks	60% or 6.0 CGPA/OGPA on a 10-point scale
Family income limit	SC/ST – less than Rs 4.5 lakh; OBC and General – less than Rs 2 lakh
Age limit	Not more than 30 years (check the official notification for the cut-off date)
Application start date	18 October 2026
Last date to apply	30 November 2026
Application mode	Online form, plus hard copies must also be sent
Official portal	ongcscholar.org
NSP OTR	One-Time Registration on the National Scholarship Portal is mandatory

What Is the ONGC Merit Scholarship and Who Offers It?

The ONGC Merit Scholarship is a national-level merit scholarship offered by the ONGC Foundation. The ONGC Foundation is the social responsibility arm of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, one of India’s largest public-sector energy companies. The aim of the scheme is to give financial support to meritorious students from the weaker sections of society so that they can complete their professional education.

Under this scheme, 2,000 students are selected every year. Of these, 50% of the scholarships are reserved for girl students. This scholarship is not given for one year only – once selected, it continues every year until the course is completed, provided the student scores at least 60% or 6.0 CGPA each year, gets promoted to the next year, and applies for renewal on time.

One special feature of this scholarship is that there is no written examination or interview. Selection is made directly on merit, on the basis of marks in the qualifying examination. That is why it is a straightforward opportunity for students who have good marks and whose family income is within the prescribed limit.

Which Courses Are Eligible?

Only first-year students can apply for this scholarship. Students in the second or third year are not eligible for a fresh application. The course must be a regular, full-time course.

The eligible courses are:

Engineering – First year of a Graduate Engineering course (Undergraduate)
MBBS – First year of the MBBS course in the medical stream (Undergraduate)
MBA – First year of Master of Business Administration (Postgraduate)
Master’s in Geology or Geophysics – First year of a Master’s degree in Geology or Geophysics (Postgraduate)

The course must be pursued at a recognised institution covered under AICTE, MCI, UGC, the Association of Indian Universities, a State Education Board, or a State or Central Government. Students of distance learning or part-time courses are not eligible.

How Many Seats Are There in Each Category and Course?

The total of 2,000 scholarships is divided category-wise as follows – 1,000 for SC/ST students, 500 for OBC students and 500 for General category students. The course-wise distribution is given below:

Course	SC/ST	OBC	General	Total
Engineering	500	300	300	1,100
MBBS	90	50	50	190
MBA	140	50	50	240
Master’s in Geology/Geophysics	270	100	100	470
Total	1,000	500	500	2,000

One thing is clear from this table – Engineering has the highest number of seats, while MBBS has only 50 seats each in the General and OBC categories. That is why Class 12 marks and the zone matter a great deal for MBBS applicants.

Eligibility: Marks, Income and Age Conditions

Read every condition below carefully before you apply. If even one condition is not met, your application can be rejected.

1. Marks Condition

Engineering or MBBS applicants must have secured at least 60% marks in Class 12. MBA or Master’s in Geology/Geophysics applicants must have at least 60% marks in graduation. Where a grading system is followed, a minimum CGPA or OGPA of 6.0 on a 10-point scale is required.

2. Family Income Limit

Category	Gross Annual Family Income (from all sources)
SC/ST	Less than Rs 4,50,000 per year
OBC	Less than Rs 2,00,000 per year
General (EWS)	Less than Rs 2,00,000 per year

Family income includes income from every source, not only salary. The income certificate must be issued by a competent authority and should be in Hindi or English.

3. Age Limit – Please Note

According to the notice, the applicant must not be more than 30 years of age. The OBC and SC/ST notices give the cut-off date as 1 August 2026. However, the General category notice has the cut-off date printed as 1 August 2025, which may be a printing error in the notice. Therefore, General category applicants should check the official notification for the correct age cut-off date. Do not fill the form relying only on a date written on another website.

4. Other Conditions

The applicant must be an Indian citizen.
The applicant must not be availing any other scholarship or financial assistance from any other source.
The scholarship can be received only once, for one course of study.
OBC and SC/ST applicants must submit a valid caste certificate.
The mobile number and email ID given in the form must be correct and active, because all communication will come through them.

Zone-Wise Distribution of Seats

ONGC has divided the country into five zones. Your zone is decided by the place where you passed your qualifying examination (Class 12 for Engineering and MBBS, graduation for MBA and Geology/Geophysics), not by the place where your college is located. Each zone has a fixed number of seats in every category:

Zone	States / UTs	General	OBC	SC/ST
1 – North	Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh	100	100	200
2 – West	Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli	100	100	200
3 – North East	Assam, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura	100	100	200
4 – East	Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal	100	100	200
5 – South	Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands	100	100	200

If enough applications are not received from a particular zone, the leftover scholarships can be redistributed to other zones. That is why students from zones with fewer applications also get a chance.

How Are Students Selected?

There is no separate examination for this scholarship. Selection works as follows:

Merit first: A merit list is prepared on the basis of aggregate marks in the qualifying examination prescribed for your course.
Tie-break: If two students have equal marks, the student with the lower family income is selected first.
BPL preference: Students from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families get preference. Others are considered only if enough eligible BPL students are not available.
Girls’ reservation: 50% of the scholarships are reserved for girl students.
Final decision: The decision of the ONGC Foundation on selection is final.

Always remember one thing – merely meeting the minimum eligibility conditions does not guarantee selection, because the number of scholarships is limited and applications are very large in number.

Scholarship Amount and Renewal – When and How Is the Money Paid?

Selected students receive Rs 48,000 per year, which is equivalent to Rs 4,000 per month. But the money is not paid month by month. According to the notice, the amount is paid yearly, after the academic year is completed, directly into the bank account through ECS. So do not plan your monthly expenses depending on a Rs 4,000 payment arriving every month.

To keep the scholarship going every year, the following conditions must be met:

Score at least 60% marks or 6.0 CGPA in each year’s semester examination.
The student must be promoted to the next year. If there is no promotion, the scholarship stops.
Send the online Application for Renewal in the prescribed format every year.
Keep the bank account active. According to the notice, bank details should not be changed after selection.
If the student later chooses a different scholarship, the entire ONGC scholarship amount received must be refunded.

Going by the course durations, the total benefit can be estimated as up to Rs 1,92,000 for a 4-year course such as Engineering or MBBS, and up to Rs 96,000 for a 2-year course such as MBA or a Master’s degree. This is our own arithmetic, not a figure given by ONGC. Confirm the correct duration of your course with your institution.

Documents Checklist

Keep all the documents below ready before you start filling the form. Every document must be clearly scanned and readable:

Document	For Whom
Certified caste certificate in Hindi/English	SC/ST/OBC applicants
Birth certificate or Class 10 marksheet as proof of age	All applicants
Class 12 marksheet	Engineering/MBBS applicants
Consolidated graduation marksheet	MBA/Geology/Geophysics applicants
Annual family income certificate in Hindi/English	All applicants
Bank details in the prescribed ECS form, attested by the bank	All applicants
PAN card copy, or the tentative date of its submission if not available	All applicants
College/Institution ID card	All applicants
College/Institution admission receipt	All applicants
Undertaking in the prescribed format	All applicants
NSP OTR number	All applicants

Pay special attention to two things. First, income and caste certificates take time to be issued, so apply for them first. Second, all certificates must be duly certified and attested by the Head, Principal or Dean of your institute, college or university. An application can be rejected for want of attestation.

How to Apply for ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27? Step-by-Step Guide

Applying has two parts – the online form and sending the hard copy. Filling only the online form is not enough. Both parts must be completed:

Get your NSP OTR number: First, complete One-Time Registration on the National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in) and note down the OTR number. The notice calls this a mandatory prerequisite, and the ONGC form cannot be filled without it.
Open the ONGC portal: Go to the official portal ongcscholar.org.
Register: New applicants should click “First Time Registrant”. Fill in your details exactly as they appear in your NSP profile. On registration you will receive a passkey – keep it safe.
Log in: Log in with your registered mobile number and passkey.
Fill the application form: Open the “Apply Scholarship” tab, enter your NSP OTR number, and fill in your personal, academic and bank details carefully.
Upload documents: Upload all the documents from the checklist above. Certificates must be certified and attested by your Head, Principal or Dean.
Review and submit: Before submitting, read every detail once again. If any information is found incorrect, the application can be summarily rejected, and giving false information can lead to a bar on future applications.
Print the form: Take a printout of the submitted form and keep it safe.
Send the hard copy: Send the completed form and the attested documents in hard copy to the designated ONGC office address given in the application format. Use a trackable courier and keep the receipt.
Send it on time: The hard copy must reach the office before the closing date, so do not wait for the last day.

Common Mistakes You Must Avoid

Applying under the wrong category: According to the notice, every student must apply under their own category’s scheme.
Details that do not match NSP: The details in the ONGC registration must match your NSP profile exactly.
Not sending the hard copy: Filling only the online form is not enough. Without the hard copy, the application will be treated as incomplete.
Wrong or incomplete information: If any declared information is found incorrect, the application will be rejected.
Changing the bank account: Bank details should not be changed after selection, so give a stable and active account from the start.
Forgetting the renewal: Missing the yearly renewal application can stop the scholarship.
Waiting for the last day: The portal gets very busy near the closing date, so apply early.

Important Links – ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27

What	Where
Official ONGC scholarship portal (apply online)	ongcscholar.org
National Scholarship Portal – OTR registration	scholarships.gov.in
ONGC official website	ongcindia.com

The contact email given in the published notice is scholarship@ongcscholar.org – confirm it on the official portal before using it.

Related Scholarship Guides

If you are applying for scholarships, these guides may also help you:

ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. What is the last date to apply for ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27?
A: The last date to apply is 30 November 2026. Applications started on 18 October 2026. The hard copy must also reach the office on time, so do not wait for the last day.

Q2. How much scholarship amount is given under this scheme?
A: Selected students receive Rs 48,000 per year, which is equivalent to Rs 4,000 per month. The amount is paid yearly, after the academic year is completed, directly into the bank account through ECS.

Q3. Can second-year students apply?
A: No. Fresh scholarship applications are meant only for first-year students of the eligible courses. Second or third year students are not eligible.

Q4. Is the NSP OTR number mandatory?
A: Yes. Before applying on the ONGC portal, you must complete One-Time Registration on the National Scholarship Portal and obtain the OTR number.

Q5. Is filling only the online form enough?
A: No. Along with the online form, the completed form and attested documents must also be sent in hard copy to the designated ONGC office. An application with only the online form will be treated as incomplete.

Q6. What is the age cut-off date for the General category?
A: The notice says the age must not be more than 30 years, but the General category notice has the cut-off date printed as 1 August 2025, while the OBC and SC/ST notices say 1 August 2026. Check the official notification for the correct cut-off date.

Q7. Is there any examination or interview for this scholarship?
A: No. Selection is based on merit, on the marks of the qualifying examination. In case of equal marks, the student with the lower family income gets preference, and BPL family students get preference.

Q8. Can a student take more than one scholarship at the same time?
A: No. A student who is already availing any other scholarship or financial assistance is not eligible for the ONGC Merit Scholarship.

Read also

Disclaimer: GramSuvidha is a private information portal, not a government website. The information in this article is based on the published notice of the ONGC Foundation and the official portal ongcscholar.org. Scholarship conditions, dates and amounts can change, so please check the official notification before applying.