Paying for a professional degree is hard for many families, even when the student has good marks. The ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27, run by ONGC Foundation, gives ₹48,000 per year to meritorious first-year students from economically weaker backgrounds who are studying Engineering, MBBS, MBA or Master’s in Geology/Geophysics. There are separate schemes for General, OBC and SC/ST students, and 2,000 scholarships in total.
In this guide we go beyond the notice. You will find a quick eligibility self-check, a category comparison, a zone explainer, a document-by-document checklist, the likely total value of the scholarship, a suggested preparation timeline, common mistakes and a glossary. Read it once, then use the official portal to apply.
📋 ONGC Scholarship 2026-27 at a Glance
| ONGC Foundation – Key Details | |
|---|---|
| 🎓 Scholarship | ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27 |
| 🏛️ Organization | ONGC Foundation |
| 👥 Open to | SC/ST, OBC and economically weaker General category students (separate schemes) |
| 📚 Courses | First year of Engineering, MBBS, MBA, or Master’s in Geology/Geophysics (full-time regular) |
| 💰 Amount | ₹48,000 per year (₹4,000 per month equivalent), paid yearly |
| 🏆 Total Scholarships | 2,000 (General 500, OBC 500, SC/ST 1,000), with 50% reserved for girl students |
| 📊 Minimum Marks | 60% (or 6.0 on a 10-point CGPA/OGPA scale) in the qualifying examination |
| 🗓️ Start Date | 18 October 2026 |
| 📅 Last Date | 30 November 2026 |
| 🌐 Official Portal | ongcscholar.org |
| 🪪 Mandatory Prerequisite | NSP One-Time Registration (OTR) number from scholarships.gov.in |
| 📝 Application Mode | Online application, plus hard copies of the completed form and attested documents sent to the designated ONGC office |
🎯 Which Scheme Should You Apply Under?
There are three schemes, and the notice says students of other categories must apply under their own scheme, not under a different one. Find your category below, then compare the numbers.
General (EWS)
500 scholarships
Income: under ₹2 lakh
No caste certificate needed
OBC
500 scholarships
Income: under ₹2 lakh
OBC caste certificate required
SC/ST
1,000 scholarships
Income: under ₹4.5 lakh
SC/ST caste certificate required
| Parameter | General | OBC | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross annual family income (all sources) | Less than ₹2,00,000 | Less than ₹2,00,000 | Less than ₹4,50,000 |
| Minimum marks | 60% or 6.0 CGPA | 60% or 6.0 CGPA | 60% or 6.0 CGPA |
| Age limit | Not more than 30 years; the General notice prints the cut-off as 1 August 2025 (see the note below) | Not more than 30 years as on 1 August 2026 | Not more than 30 years as on 1 August 2026 |
| Caste certificate | Not listed | Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Total seats | 500 | 500 | 1,000 |
| Seats per zone | 100 | 100 | 200 |
✅ Eligibility Self-Check
Go through this list honestly. If you can tick every row that applies to your category, you meet the basic conditions in the notice.
| ✔ | Condition | What the notice requires |
|---|---|---|
| ☑️ | Nationality | Indian citizen |
| ☑️ | Year of study | First year of Graduate Engineering, MBBS, MBA, or Master’s in Geology/Geophysics (Geoscience in the SC/ST notice) |
| ☑️ | Course type | Full-time regular course offered under AICTE, MCI, UGC, Association of Indian Universities, a State Education Board, or a State or Central Government |
| ☑️ | Marks | At least 60% in Class 12 (Engineering, MBBS) or graduation (MBA, Geology/Geophysics), or 6.0 on a 10-point grading scale |
| ☑️ | Family income | Under ₹2 lakh (General, OBC) or under ₹4.5 lakh (SC/ST) per year, from all sources |
| ☑️ | Age | Not more than 30 years on the cut-off date |
| ☑️ | No other scholarship | You must not be receiving any other scholarship or financial assistance |
| ☑️ | First time only | The scholarship is available once, for one course of study |
| ☑️ | Certificate (OBC, SC/ST) | Valid caste certificate issued by a competent government authority |
📚 Seats by Course
| Course | Qualifying exam | Duration printed in notice | General | OBC | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | Class 12 | 4 years | 300 | 300 | 500 |
| MBBS | Class 12 | 4 years | 50 | 50 | 90 |
| MBA | Graduation | 2 years | 50 | 50 | 140 |
| Master’s in Geology/Geophysics | Graduation | 2 years | 100 | 100 | 270 |
| Total | 500 | 500 | 1,000 | ||
Durations are exactly as printed in the notice. The MBBS duration is printed as 4 years, so check your own course length with your institute. Fifty percent of all scholarships are reserved for girl students.
🗺️ Zone-Wise Distribution
| Zone | States / UTs | General | OBC | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – North | Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh | 100 | 100 | 200 |
| 2 – West | Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman & Diu, Dadra & 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 & Nicobar Islands | 100 | 100 | 200 |
If fewer applications arrive from a particular zone, the notice says the leftover scholarships will be redistributed. The OBC paragraph in the notice mentions 200 per zone, but its table shows 100 per zone, which matches the OBC total of 500.
🧮 What Is the Scholarship Really Worth?
The notice says that once awarded, the scholarship continues every year until the course is completed, as long as you are promoted and renew on time. We calculated the maximum possible value using the course durations printed in the notice. This is our own arithmetic, not an ONGC figure.
| Course | Years (as printed) | Maximum total if renewed every year |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 4 | ₹1,92,000 |
| MBBS | 4 | ₹1,92,000 |
| MBA | 2 | ₹96,000 |
| Master’s in Geology/Geophysics | 2 | ₹96,000 |
For scale, 2,000 scholarships of ₹48,000 each come to about ₹9.6 crore for one year of awards.
🧭 How Students Are Selected
- 🔹 Merit first: Selection is based on aggregate marks in the qualifying examination prescribed for your course.
- 🔹 Tie-break: If two students have equal marks, the one with the lower family income is selected.
- 🔹 BPL preference: Students from Below Poverty Line 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: ONGC Foundation’s decision on selection is final, and no correspondence on the selection process will be entertained.
💳 Payment & Renewal
The notice describes the scholarship as ₹4,000 per month, which is ₹48,000 per year. But the money is paid yearly, after the academic year is completed, straight to your bank account through ECS. Do not plan your monthly budget around a ₹4,000 payment arriving each month.
- 🔹 Score at least 60% or 6 grade points out of 10 in each year’s semester examination.
- 🔹 Be promoted to the next year. The scholarship stops if your institute does not promote you.
- 🔹 Send the online Application for Renewal in the prescribed format every year.
- 🔹 Keep the bank account active. The notice says bank details should not be changed after selection.
- 🔹 If you later choose a different scholarship, you must refund the entire ONGC scholarship amount received.
📄 Documents Checklist (Category-Wise)
| Document | General | OBC | SC/ST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certified caste certificate (Hindi/English) | — | ✅ | ✅ |
| Birth certificate or Class 10 marksheet (age proof) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Class 12 marksheet (Engineering, MBBS) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Consolidated graduation marksheet (MBA, Geology/Geophysics) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Certified annual family income certificate (Hindi/English) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bank details on the prescribed ECS form, attested by the bank | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| PAN card copy, or the tentative date you will submit it | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| College or institution ID card | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| College or institution admission receipt | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Undertaking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The notice says certificates in a regional language may be accepted only in extreme cases, so get Hindi or English versions where you can. Your NSP OTR number is also needed during the application.
- 💡 Start with the slowest documents: income and caste certificates usually depend on a government office, so apply for them first (general advice).
- 💡 Attestation: The notice says certificates must be duly certified and attested by the Head, Principal or Dean of your institute, college or university.
- 💡 Scan quality: Upload clear, full-page scans where all text and stamps are readable (general advice).
🚀 How to Apply, Step by Step
🪪 National Scholarship Portal (OTR): scholarships.gov.in
📰 Official notification image: ONGC Scholarship 2026-27 advertisement
✉️ Contact email given in the notice: info@ongcscholar.org
🗓️ Suggested Preparation Timeline
This is a general planning suggestion from us, not an official schedule. Adjust it to how quickly your institute and local offices work.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ Applying under the wrong category. The notice says students of other categories must apply under their own scheme.
- ❌ Details that do not match NSP. Fill the ONGC registration to match your NSP profile exactly.
- ❌ Skipping the hard copies. The online form alone is not enough, because the notice says the hard copies must reach the ONGC office.
- ❌ Wrong or incorrect information. If any declared information is found incorrect, the application is summarily rejected. False or malafide information can get you barred from future applications and reported to your institution.
- ❌ Using an account you may close. Give an active bank account that is unlikely to change after selection.
- ❌ Forgetting the renewal. Missing the yearly renewal application or the promotion condition can stop the scholarship.
- ❌ Waiting for the last day. Portals get busy near closing dates, so apply early (general advice).
📜 Key Terms & Conditions
- 🔹 You can receive the ONGC scholarship only once, for one course of study.
- 🔹 You must not be availing any other scholarship or financial assistance from any other source.
- 🔹 The scholarship does not give any right of employment with ONGC group companies or its joint ventures.
- 🔹 ONGC Foundation may alter or discontinue the scholarship without prior notice.
- 🔹 Give an active mobile number and email ID, and keep both working during the process.
📖 Terms Explained Simply
| NSP | National Scholarship Portal, the government portal where you first register. |
| OTR | One-Time Registration on NSP, which gives you a number you enter in the ONGC application. |
| Passkey | The access code sent to your registered email or mobile after you register on the ONGC portal. You use it with your mobile number to log in. |
| ECS | Electronic Clearing Service, the method by which the scholarship is paid directly into your bank account. |
| CGPA / OGPA | Cumulative or Overall Grade Point Average, used when your institute gives grades instead of percentages. You need at least 6.0 out of 10. |
| BPL | Below Poverty Line. Students from BPL families get selection preference. |
| Attested copy | A photocopy that an authorised person, here your institute’s Head, Principal or Dean, has certified as a true copy of the original. |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the last date for ONGC Scholarship 2026-27?
According to the published notice, applications run from 18 October 2026 to 30 November 2026. Always confirm on ongcscholar.org, because dates can be changed.
Q. How much money does the scholarship give?
₹48,000 per year, which the notice also expresses as ₹4,000 per month. It is paid yearly after the academic year, not monthly.
Q. Who can apply?
Indian students from the General (economically weaker), OBC and SC/ST categories who are in the first year of Engineering, MBBS, MBA or Master’s in Geology/Geophysics, in a full-time regular course.
Q. What is the income limit for each category?
Gross annual family income from all sources must be under ₹2 lakh for General and OBC, and under ₹4.5 lakh for SC/ST.
Q. What minimum marks are required?
At least 60% in Class 12 for Engineering and MBBS, or in graduation for MBA and Geology/Geophysics. On a grading system, you need at least 6.0 out of 10.
Q. Is NSP OTR registration compulsory?
Yes. The notice says all candidates must first register on NSP and obtain an OTR number, which you then enter in the ONGC application.
Q. Do I need to send hard copies?
Yes. The notice says hard copies of the completed form and attested documents must reach the designated ONGC office as specified in the application format.
Q. Can I apply under a different category scheme?
No. Students of other categories must apply under their own scheme.
Q. Can second-year or final-year students apply?
The notice is for students in the first year of the eligible courses during the year of the advertisement.
Q. Which zone will I fall in?
It depends on where the university, institute or college of your qualifying examination is located. Check the zone table above for your state.
Q. Can I take another scholarship along with this one?
No. You must not be availing any other scholarship or financial assistance. If you later choose another scholarship, the ONGC amount you received has to be refunded.
Q. How do I keep the scholarship every year?
Score at least 60% or 6 grade points in each year’s semester examination, get promoted, and send the online Application for Renewal in the prescribed format.
Q. Does this scholarship guarantee a job at ONGC?
No. The notice says the award does not confer any right of employment with ONGC group companies or its joint ventures.
Q. Who do I contact with a problem?
The notice lists info@ongcscholar.org as the contact email.
This guide is based on the published ONGC Foundation notice for 2026-27. A few items in that notice look inconsistent, so check them before you apply: the General category age cut-off is printed as 1 August 2025 while the OBC and SC/ST notices say 1 August 2026; the OBC zone paragraph says 200 per zone while its table says 100; and the MBBS duration is printed as 4 years. Also confirm the final dates and the address for sending hard copies.
Scholarship details can change. Check the latest information on the official ONGC scholarship portal before applying. Never share OTPs, banking PINs or passwords. Pay a fee only if it is explicitly listed in the official notification and the payment route is official. Send documents only to the address given in the official application format.
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Disclaimer: GyanZap is an independent information publisher and is not affiliated with ONGC or ONGC Foundation. We do not guarantee selection. This article is based on the published ONGC Merit Scholarship 2026-27 notice and our own explanations. Please verify eligibility, dates, seats, documents and the application process on the official ONGC portal before applying.
