KVPY Eligibility Criteria 2026
The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) was a national fellowship programme designed to identify students with an aptitude for scientific research. However, the KVPY examination has been discontinued and the programme has been subsumed into the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research – Scholarship for Higher Education (INSPIRE-SHE). Therefore, there is no KVPY aptitude test or KVPY 2026 eligibility process.
Note: Students looking for a current scholarship opportunity in 2026 should refer to the official INSPIRE-SHE eligibility requirements and current application notifications. INSPIRE-SHE does not conduct a separate competitive examination for identifying talent.
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KVPY is no longer conducted as a separate examination. The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has subsumed KVPY into the INSPIRE-SHE component to encourage students to pursue higher education and research in science without requiring a separate KVPY aptitude test.
KVPY Stream SA – Historical Eligibility
Stream SA was a former KVPY category for students studying in Class XI with Science subjects. Under the historical eligibility rules, students were required to meet prescribed Class X marks criteria and subsequently pursue an undergraduate programme in Basic Sciences. This stream is no longer available because the KVPY examination has been discontinued.
KVPY Stream SX – Historical Eligibility
Stream SX was a former KVPY category for students studying in Class XII with Science subjects and intending to pursue an undergraduate programme in Basic Sciences. The historical eligibility criteria included prescribed marks in Class X and Class XII examinations. Stream SX is no longer offered as part of a current KVPY examination.
KVPY Stream SB – Historical Eligibility
Stream SB was a former KVPY category for students in the first year of an undergraduate programme in Basic Sciences. Candidates had to satisfy the prescribed academic requirements under the KVPY rules applicable to their examination year. The KVPY Stream SB examination and application process are no longer conducted.
SP (Basic Sciences) – Historical Information
SP (Basic Sciences) was an earlier KVPY fellowship route associated with students pursuing school-level or undergraduate studies in Basic Sciences and certain other programmes. The route involved specific academic requirements and, in applicable cases, submission of a research project. This category is no longer available under a KVPY 2026 examination because KVPY has been discontinued.
Students should not use the historical SP (Basic Sciences) criteria as current 2026 KVPY eligibility requirements.
Stream SP (Medicine) – Historical Information
Stream SP (Medicine) was another historical KVPY route for eligible students pursuing specified medical programmes and meeting the academic requirements applicable during the relevant KVPY cycle. The KVPY examination and its SP (Medicine) route are no longer conducted.
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KVPY was a national fellowship programme supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, and administered by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Its objective was to identify students with talent and aptitude for research and encourage them to pursue careers in science and research. The KVPY programme has subsequently been subsumed into INSPIRE-SHE. The current INSPIRE scheme is implemented through the INSPIRE web portal and its components have their own eligibility criteria and application notifications.