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Join a network of leaders
To help build links with the next generation of talented Indian business and community leaders, the Australian Government has introduced a Masters-level Australia Awards Scholarship program for India.
Australia Awards Scholarships are prestigious international awards offered by the Australian Government. Through coursework and engagement with Australian private and public sector institutions, recipients develop the skills and knowledge to drive change in their chosen field and help build enduring links with Australia.
Scholarships are offered to exceptional Indian graduate students from specific high-performing institutions for study in priority fields of study at one of Australia’s world-class universities. For the 2021 academic year these are:
- Agribusiness
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Energy and Resources
- Engineering
- Security and Strategic Studies
Applicants must come from one of the specified target institutions. Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other traditionally marginalised groups.
Applicants must become familiar with the complete eligibility and selection criteria outlined in the information, attachments and links supplied below prior to contacting the Australia Awards – India team.
Applications open 1 February 2020 and close 30 April 2020
General eligibility
Australia Awards applicants must meet all eligibility requirements detailed in the Scholarships Policy Handbook, available at: dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Pages/australia-awards-scholarships-policy-handbook.aspx.
Country-specific eligibility
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, candidates from India must also meet the following country-specific requirements. Applicants must:
- be a recent graduate (2018 or later) of one of the target institutions; or be in the final year of a tertiary-level qualification (at least equivalent to an Australian Bachelor’s degree) from one of the target institutions
- have achieved a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 7.5
- have an endorsement letter from one of the target institutions/universities in India.
Applicants must have achieved an IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 or higher (with no individual band score below 6.0) or an internet-based TOEFL (iBT) score of at least 84, with a minimum of 21 in all subtests or a Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) overall score of 58, with no communicative skill score less than 50. Scores must be valid until 1 January 2021.
Scholarships will not be available for courses of study in Australia where the applicant has already achieved that qualification and the qualification is deemed to be equivalent to the Australian qualification.
Students or recent graduates from target institutions in the ten Indian states identified by the India Economic Strategy will be eligible to apply. For Scholarships commencing in 2021, these institutions are:
- Andhra University
- Banaras Hindu University
- Calcutta University
- Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru)
- Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
- Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
- Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar
- Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
- Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
- Indian Institute of Technology Madras
- Jadavpur University
- Jawaharlal Nehru University
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education
- National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli
- Savitribai Phule Pune University
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (Mumbai)
- Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology
- University of Delhi
- University of Hyderabad
Applicants must submit a letter of endorsement from their institution to be considered for these Scholarships. Applicants will be assessed on their academic excellence, leadership potential and how they intend to use the Scholarship in their future plans to help strengthen Australia-India linkages.
Applications are strongly encouraged from women, people with disability and other traditionally marginalised groups.
Applicants must identify two preferred courses on their application form and ensure they meet the Australian institution’s English language and course requirements.
Online applications
All applications must be lodged online through OASIS at https://oasis.dfat.gov.au/ .
Supporting documents
Applicants must submit all of the following supporting documents with their application—these include generic documents requested in the Scholarships Policy Handbook and specific documents required for applicants from India. These specific documents are:
- A personal statement of no more than 500 words
- A letter of endorsement from your institution.
Documents requiring certification are specified in the table below. All certified documents must be in colour and properly scanned and not scanned using phone applications. If the document is not in English, the translated copy must be certified. See the Scholarships Policy Handbook for certification requirements.
| Document type | Certified |
| Passport (ordinary and valid) | Yes |
| Identification documents (PAN Card/Voter Card/Aadhaar Card | Yes |
| Birth certificate | Yes |
| Degree certificates (Bachelors and any Post Graduate level), or certified academic transcript if degree is yet to be conferred. Transcripts must show results for each semester as well as overall results, and must clearly show the GPA. Where transcripts are not in English, please provide an English translation | Yes |
| Certificates of special achievements or merit which are relevant to the proposed study program | Yes |
| A brief CV | No |
| A personal statement (of no more than 500 words) describing your suitability to be offered a Scholarship | No |
| Two academic referee reports* (with seal) | No |
| Letter from the institution endorsing your application | No |
| Passport size photo | No |
* Template for the referee report is available at: https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Documents/referee.pdf
Referee reports in formats other than the prescribed template will not be accepted.
Other required templates can be downloaded from this website closer to the application opening date
Following eligibility checking, applications will be assessed and shortlisted by Australian Government representatives. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview, which will include a writing exercise. Applicants will be assessed against the following criteria:
- academic excellence
- leadership qualities and potential
- ability to demonstrate how the Scholarship will contribute to building linkages between Australia and India
What are Australia Awards?.
Australia Awards are prestigious international Scholarships and Short Courses funded by the Australian Government. Australia Awards equip recipients with the skills and knowledge to drive change.
All recipients of Australia Awards become part of the Australia Global Alumni network, connecting them to Australia and to each other — building an engaged and influential global network of leaders and advocates.
An important area of focus for Australia Awards is the empowerment of women and the inclusion of people with disability and individuals from disadvantaged social groups.
What are Australia Awards Scholarships?
Australia Awards Scholarships are long-term awards administered by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They aim to contribute to the needs of Australia’s partner countries in line with bilateral and regional agreements.
They provide opportunities for people from developing countries, particularly those countries located in the Indo-Pacific region, to undertake full-time undergraduate or postgraduate study at participating Australian institutions.
For more information about Australia Awards, visit https://dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/australia-awards/Pages/australia-awards-scholarships.aspx
What benefits are provided?
Australia Awards Scholarships are offered for the minimum period necessary for the individual to complete the academic program specified by the Australian higher education institution, including any preparatory training. Benefits include full tuition fees, return airfares, contribution to living expenses and medical insurance. Please check the Australia Awards Scholarships Policy Handbook for detailed information about Scholarship benefits and entitlements.
Scholarship conditions
Applicants must also meet the following special conditions:
- Scholars are expected to return to India after completing their studies.
- Scholarships must be taken up in 2021. Should a recipient not be able to commence their study by November in the year of the award, the Scholarship will be cancelled.
- On completion of their Scholarship, recipients are expected to actively engage in relevant Australia Awards alumni networks and activities
For further information contact the Australia Awards office for Bhutan and India
Telephone: +975 2 331845
Fax: +975 2 334793
Email: inquiries@australiaawardsindia.org
Please be wary of false advertising and scams. Only refer to this website’s resources and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website here for information regarding the application process for Australia Awards Scholarships. No money is paid for an Australia Awards opportunity at any stage of the process.