CM Research Fellowship for Minorities 2025-26 For Kerala

The Cm Research Fellowship for minorities 2025-26 is a prestigious initiative , Directorate of Minority welfare , Government of Kerala , this scholarships is made  to provide financial relief to PhD students from minority communities.. By  alleviating the burden of the Tuition fees , the Fellowship aims to ensure that  academic merit and spirit of enquiry . 

About Cm Research Fellowship for minorities 2025-26

The Cm Research Fellowship for minorities 2025-26 is a prestigious initiative by  the Directorate of Minority welfare , Government of Kerala is designed to provide  financial relief to students of Minority communities of Kerala . This scholarship  is specifically targets those enrolled in regular Phd programs in UGC recognised  Universities or institutions ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder  academic excellence. 

Objective of Cm Research Fellowship for Minorities 2025 – 26 

The Scholarship aims to bridge the financial for meritorious PhD students who belong to the minority  communities of Kerala . It aims to promote social equality . The program focuses  on empowering scholars to pursue highest education thereby enhancing their  employability and enabling them to lead a life of dignity.

Key Highlights of Cm Research Fellowship for Minorities 2025-26

Scholarship Name	CM Research Fellowship for Minorities 2025-26
Amount	upto ₹ 2.40 Lakh  with a consolidated  amount of ₹ 20,000
Beneficiaries	Minorities enrolled  in Regular PhD  courses in any field
Application End	January 15 2026
Article Category	Scholarship

Eligibility Criteria

• Students who are enrolled in a regular, full-time, pursuing Ph.D. programme in a recognised Government or Government-aided institution in India during 2025–26. 
• Preference will be given to students belonging to the BPL category. In the absence of BPL applicants,  APL students with income below the government limit may be considered. 
• Ensure that only one member per family applies for this fellowship. 
• The applicant must be a permanent resident of Kerala (Non-Resident Keralites are not eligible). 
• The applicant must be below 40 years of age as on 01.10.2025. Relaxation in the upper age limit to be  received for candidates belonging to specific categories, such as persons with Disabilities (PwD) and  women. 
• The student will be eligible to receive the fellowship up to 3 times (Maximum up to 5 years i.e., 3 times  during the course period of 5 years) only upon satisfactory academic performance, as per universities  guidelines, and based on a confirmatory certificate from the Research Guide, Research Supervisor,  Institution or the Research Advisory Committee (RAC).
• A scholar is eligible to receive only one fellowship at a time. The scholar shall declare that he/she will  not accept/receive any other monetary benefit/scholarship/fellowship from any other source. In other  words, a scholar who is awarded fellowship under this scheme shall not accept any other fellowship/scholarship or hold any appointment, paid or otherwise, or receive any emoluments, salary,  stipend etc. (example: JRF, HTRA, KSCSTE, Institute stipendiary, Sponsorship or scholarship from any other source) during the tenure of the award (except in  case of ‘academic leave’ of one year). In case, a scholar is already in receipt of any scholarship/fellowship,  he/she will have to relinquish either the previous scholarship/fellowship/any other monetary benefit or to  forgo the selection under this scheme. 
• A scholar who does not complete his/her research work during the tenure of Ph.D. programme in their  concerned institution shall not be eligible to apply again under this scheme. Similarly, a scholar who has  completely or partially availed any fellowship for pursuing Ph.D. earlier shall also not be eligible for  fellowship under this scheme. 
• Employees of any University/ College/ Educational Institutional/Central/ State/ UTGovernment shall be  excluded from availing fellowship, even if they are on Leave(LWA on study purposes) or EOL to pursue  the PhD course. 

Assessment Process

• Selection will be made by a Departmental Selection Committee. The selection committee includes the  following personnel:
  • Additional/Joint/Deputy Secretary from Secretariat. 
  • Director, Dept. of Minority welfare 
  • Administrative Officer/Finance Officer, Dept. of Minority welfare 
  • Representatives from any of the prominent government universities in Kerala 
  • Project Officer, Dept. of Minority welfare 
• Priority will be given based on BPL status and annual family income, subject to meeting all other  eligibility criteria. 
• 30% of fellowships are reserved for women students. If sufficient women applicants are not available,  the remaining slots may be given to male applicants. 
• 5% of fellowships are reserved for Persons with Disabilities (PwD) students. If sufficient PwD applicants  are not available, the remaining slots may be given to open category. 
• Selection is based on:
  • Eligibility verification 
  • Income level 
  • Minority community proportion in Kerala population 

Financial Assistance

The eligible students will receive a an amount of ₹2.40 lakh per year. The student  will be eligible to receive the fellowship up to 3 times (Maximum up to 5 years  i.e., 3 times during the course period of 5 years), depending on satisfactory  progress. Literally,, the students will receive a consolidated amount of ₹20,000  per month, every year. 

Important  

Deadline:- 15 January 2026

Required Documents 

• Printout of application registration form. 
• Mark lists of SSLC, Graduate, and Postgraduate examinations. 
• Copy of the first page of the bank passbook in the applicant’s name (showing name, account number,  branch code, and branch address) 
• Aadhaar Card 
• Nativity Certificate. 
• Community Certificate or Minority Certificate. 
• Original Income Certificate from the Village Office. 
• Ration Card. 
• PwD certificate( if applicable) 
• Admission/registration letter for Ph.D. 
• Certificate of confirmation signed by the Research Guide/Research Supervisor/Head of Department.

Features of CM Research Fellowship for Minorities

The Key features includes :  

• Substantial Financial Aid: Amount of ₹ 2.40 lakh per year is awarded to the students . The students will  receive a consolidated amount of ₹20,000 per month, every year. 
• Preference to minorities: Students belonging to notified minority communities such as Muslims,  Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis enrolled in full-time PhD and Regular programmes at recognised universities or institutions are preferred  
• Transparent Process: Entirely managed through an online process without any issue.

Application Process of CM Research Fellowship for Minorities 2025-26

• Check the official website “minority welfare.kerala.gov.in“.
• Download and complete the application form and attach all required  documents.
• Submit the completed form to the directorate of minority welfare, Vikas  Bhavan, Thiruvananthapuram.

Helpline Number 

• Mail: scholarship.mwd@gmail.com.

FAQs