KVPY 2011 Scholarships, Fellowships, Application Invited

The "Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana" (KVPY) is a program started in 1999 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 developed for research and growth in the country. Generous scholarship and contingency grant are provided (up to the pre-Ph.D. level) to the selected students. In addition, summer programs for the KVPY Fellows are organized 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). The selection of students from those studying in +1, +2, any U.G. Program in Science / Medicine and also Engineering students having aptitude for scientific research, are carried out by IISc (Bangalore), IIT-Bombay (Mumbai), and ICMR (New Delhi), respectively, in association with two Zonal Centers 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, which screen the applications, conduct interviews at various centers, make the final selection.

The Department of Science and Technology - the nodal agency of the Government has entrusted the overall responsibility for organizing 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 look after both the administrative and academic aspects of the KVPY Program.

ELIGIBILITY

Basic Sciences

Stream SA: Students enrolled in the XI Standard (Science Subjects) during the academic year 2011-2012 and have secured a minimum of 80% (70% for SC/ST) marks in aggregate in MATHEMATICS and SCIENCE subjects in the X Standard Board Examination.

Stream SX: Students enrolled in Class 12 (+2) of the academic year 2011 - 2012 and aspiring to join undergraduate program in Basic Sciences (B.Sc/B.S./Int. M.Sc) for the session 2012 - 2013 provided they secured a minimum of 80% (70% for SC/ST) marks in aggregate in MATHEMATICS and SCIENCE subjects in the X Standard Board Examination.

Stream SB: Students enrolled in 1st year B. Sc./B.S./Int. M.Sc. during the academic year 2011–2012 and have secured a minimum of 60% (50% for SC/ST) marks in aggregate in SCIENCE subjects in the XII Standard Board Examination.

SP (Basic Sciences)

Students enrolled in XI/XII standard, I/II year (B.Sc../B.S./Int. M.Sc.) in Basic Sciences and I/II year B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. during the academic year 2011–2012 and have secured a minimum of 60% (50% for SC/ST) marks in aggregate in the X & XII Standard Board Examinations. Additionally students enrolled in the II year B.Sc./B.S./Int. M.Sc/B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch. program must have secured a minimum of 60% (50% for SC/ST) marks in the I year examination. A hard copy of an original and creative Science based research project done by the applicant is required to be submitted along with the application.

Note for Students applying for  Stream SP (Basic Sciences)

This has been started in order to  recognize and encourage creative and innovative talent of youngsters. The project done by the applicant as a part of this application must be based on a novel and innovative idea. The project can be experimental or theoretical in nature. However, the project must show that the applicant is creative and adventurous, and ready to explore. The project should not merely reflect use of certain techniques or reporting of routine experimentation, an improvement of an existing product or a technique may be accepted provided such improvement involves originality and creativity. One may try to incorporate some addition to the design or practical implementation that improves an existing technique. The main criteria that would be followed for selection for the interview would be originality and innovation. Only after these criteria are met, the level of sophistication and the nature of the project would be taken into consideration.

Medicine

Stream SP (Medicine): Students joining First / Second Professional year of MBBS/B.V.Sc/BDS/B.Pharma program during the academic year 2011-2012. Students must have passed XII Standard Board Examination with 80% (70% for SC/ST) marks in aggregate in Science subjects or passed First Professional MBBS/B.V.Sc/BDS/B.Pharma 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  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 IISc., Bangalore. Application without the Bio-Medical project report will not be considered.

The project should not be a routine one (such as measuring a well known property of a material). 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.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

Basic Sciences (SA, SX and SB) 
After scrutiny of application forms and based on the performance in the Board Examination(s), all the eligible candidates from Streams SA, SX and SB have to appear for a written aptitude test (conducted both in Hindi and English). The test will be conducted at different centers across the country on 30th October 2011. The details of the venue of the aptitude tests will be put on the KVPY website  in October 2011. Based on the performance in the aptitude test, candidates will be called for the interview which is the final stage of the selection procedure.

The question paper in SA Stream will be multiple choice objective type. In the objective type, 4 choices for the correct answer will be provided and the choice for the correct answer has to be made. 

SP (Basic Sciences) and SP (Medicine) 
KVPY applicant is required to submit the project report, chosen and executed by the candidate exclusively for this application. The projects done jointly with other candidates are not considered for KVPY Fellowship award. Applicant’s creativity and originality should be amply reflected in the project. This project has to be supervised by a teacher/professional in the relevant field. Based on the project submitted and scrutiny of the application form, short listed candidates will be called for an interview, which is the final stage of the selection procedure. The interview will be conducted at IISc, Bangalore during the month of December 2011 or January 2012.

Please Note that applications without the project report will not be considered. The project should not be a routine one (such as measuring a well known property of a material) The supervising teacher / professional is required to provide a recommendation letter certifying the extent of the applicant’s original contribution in the project.

APPLICATIONS

Request for Application Form

• Each Stream has its own application form. Students who wish to apply for more than one Streams should submit separate applications.
  
• Applicants may apply either by Hard copy or Online (will open in new window).
  
• For Online application forms, click here (will open in new window). Those who are unable to apply online, may request for a Hard Copy.
  
• Hard copy of the application form can be obtained from KVPY on request by remitting a processing fee*, ** of  `Rs. 200/- (Rs. 100/- for SC/ST) at any core banking branches of STATE BANK OF INDIA, payable at all branches in India into the credit of "Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana(KVPY) A/c. No. 10270577392" and sending the  "Pay-In-Slip" along with the request, clearly indicating the stream (i.e. SA, SB, SP) on the envelope.
  
  Download Pay-In-Slip: .pdf format or .doc format.
  * Girl students are exempted from payment of processing fee.
  ** Physically and visually challenged candidates are exempted from payment of the processing fee.

• The SC/ST – candidates should provide a copy of the caste certificate issued by a competent authority in the prescribed proforma.
  
• The completed application form along with the
• Caste certificate in the case of SC/ST candidate
• Medical certificate from the prescribed authority in case of physically and visually challenged candidates.
• Project report in the case of SP (Basic Sciences/Medicine).
• Copy of the marks statement of the qualifying examination(s), in the case of Stream SP.
• The original copy of the challan of processing fee of Rs. 200/- (Rs. 100/- for SC/ST)
  should reach KVPY on or before 12.9.2011 (Monday).

• KVPY will not be responsible for postal delays in receiving completed application.
  
• Last date for receipt of the request for application form.

1.	By post	:	02 September 2011
2.	In person at IISc	:	09 September 2011

• Last date for closing of Online application                   : 09 September 2011
  
• Last date for receipt of the completed application       : 12 September 2011
  (both Online/Hard Copy along with cast certificate,
  project report and processing fee) :

All correspondence should be addressed to:

The Convener

Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)

Indian Institute of Science

Bangalore 560 012.

For more information visit www.kvpy.org.in