What is KVPY ?

The "Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana" is an ongoing program started by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to encourage students of Basic Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to take up research careers in these areas. The aim of the program is to identify and encourage talented students with aptitude for research.

This program strives to assist the students to realise their potential and to ensure that the best scientific talent is tapped for research and development in the country. Generous scholarships will be provided (up to the pre-Ph.D. level) to the selected students.

In addition, summer programs for the KVPY Fellows are organised in prestigious research and educational institutions in the country.

The KVPY is funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The program is administered by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc, Bangalore), through the overall control of the Chief Executive (SID). The selection of students from those who are studying +1, +2, any U.G. Program including First/Second year Engineering/Medicine are carried out by IISc (Bangalore), IIT-Bombay (Mumbai), and ICMR (New Delhi), respectively, in association with two Zonal Centres one at Kolkata (Indian Institute of Science Education Research, Kolkata) and another at Mumbai (HBCSE, TIFR). There are special groups or committees set up at IISc, IIT and ICMR which screen the applications, conduct interviews at various centres, make the final selection and attend to follow-up matters.

The Department of Science and Technology - the nodal agency of the Government has entrusted the overall responsibility for organising the scheme to the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and set up a National Advisory Committee (NAC) for overseeing its implementation. A Basic Committee and a National Scientific Committee has been set up to monitor various aspects, both administrative and academic, of the KVPY Program.

FELLOWSHIP :

BASIC SCIENCES Monthly Fellowship Annual Contingency       SA and SP  (After Xth Class) Rs. 4000 Rs. 16000       SB and SP During B.Sc. and 1st to 3rd years of Integrated M.Sc. Rs. 5000 Rs. 20000       SB and SP During M.Sc. and 4th and 5th years of Integrated M.Sc. Rs. 7000 Rs. 28000 SP (ENGINEERING) Monthly Fellowship Annual Contingency        2nd and 3rd year Rs. 5000 Rs. 20000 During Subsequent Years Rs. 7000 Rs. 28000       SP (MEDICINE) Monthly Fellowship Annual Contingency        2nd and 3rd Year Rs. 5000 Rs. 20000 During Subsequent Years Rs. 7000 Rs. 28000

CONTINUATION OF FELLOWSHIP :

Annual renewal of fellowships will depend on maintaining good academic performance first class/60% in aggregate marks in the chosen stream and satisfactory performance in summer programs. Note that KVPY Fellows in the Basic Sciences selected in XI Std (Stream SA) who opt out of the science stream at the end of XII Standard will forego the Fellowship and Contingency support.

ELIGIBILITY :

Stream SP (Engineering): Students joining First / Second year B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch during the academic year 2009 - 2010 and having secured a minimum of 60% (50% for SC/ST) marks aggregate in X and XII Standard Board Examinations. Students joining Second year B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch must have passed with a minimum of 60% (50% for SC/ST) in the First year exam of B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. A hard copy of the Science/Engineering based research project is required along with the application.

Note for Students applying for SP Engineering Stream

KVPY application requires the report of a project, chosen and executed by the applicant and supervised by a teacher/professional in the relevant field, to be submitted along with the application. Based on the project submitted and scrutiny of application forms, short listed candidates will be called for an interview, which is the final stage of the selection procedure. The interview will be conducted at IIT, Bombay during the month of December 2009 or January 2010. Application without the project report will not be considered.

The project should not be a routine one (such as measuring well known property of materials etc.). Applicant's creativity and originality should be amply reflected in the project. The supervising teacher/professional is required to provide a recommendation letter on the form (supplied along with the application form) certifying the extent of the applicant's original contribution to the project.

Stream SP (Medicine): Students joining First / Second Professional year of M.B.B.S. program during the academic year 2009 - 2010. Students must have passed XII Standard Board Examination with 75% (65% for SC/ST) marks aggregate in Science subjects or passed First Professional MBBS exam with not less than 60% (50% for SC/ST) marks. A Copy of the Bio – Medical research project is required along with the application.

Note for Students applying for Medicine Stream SP (Medicine)

KVPY application requires the report of a project, chosen and executed by the applicant and supervised by a teacher/professional in the relevant field, to be submitted along with the application. Based on the project submitted and scrutiny of application forms, short listed candidates will be called for an interview, which is the final stage of the selection procedure. The interview will be conducted at ICMR, New Delhi. Application without the Bio-Medical project report will not be considered.

The project should not be a routine one (such as measuring well known property of materials etc.). Applicant's creativity and originality should be amply reflected in the project. The supervising teacher/professional is required to provide two recommendation letters on the form (supplied along with the application form) certifying the extent of the applicant's original contribution to the project.

PRIVILEGES :

Summer program is an important part of the nurture program for KVPY Fellow. These are meant to expose the Fellows to methods of scientific research and inculcate in them an abiding interest in doing scientific research. These are normally organised during the summer vacation, when KVPY Fellows spend one or two weeks in scientific institutions listening to lectures by experts in different fields of science, engineering or medicine, seems things in a research environment, watching scientists at work/science in action, interacting with scientists, visiting nearby scientific research laboratories and institutions, and exchanging views with other research students. Sometimes Fellows with specific interest are associated with individual scientists who talk to them about their interest, help them to clear their doubts, give them problem, to work out let them to do experiments, and tell them about the future scope in the area of their interest.

he Summer Program for KVPY Fellows in the Basic Science Stream is arranged either at Bangalore or Kolkata or Allahabad or Mumbai for One / Two weeks.

The Summer Program for KVPY Fellows in the Engineering Stream is organised by IIT-Bombay. The Fellows get an opportunity to work on innovative projects under the guidance of distinguished engineering faculty.

KVPY Fellows in the Medicine Stream are required to attend a summer program for two weeks or more on a mutually convenient time of the fellow and the mentor may be identified by the fellow in consultation with ICMR, New Delhi

OTHER PRIVILEGES :

An Identity Card is issued to each KVPY Fellows. Several national laboratories, universities and other institutions have agreed to extend special privileges like library, laboratory facilities to KVPY Fellows on production of the ID card.

OUR HOPE :

KVPY hopes that the award of this Fellowship to student is an encouragement and opportunities that they derive from it will expose them to research in the subject of their liking and induce them to choose a research career in science. This would really be a fulfillment of the main objective of the KVPY program.