SARTHI Punjabrao Deshmukh Scholarship 2026-27: Last Date 27 Oct

The Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh-SARTHI Higher Education Domestic Scholarship is run by SARTHI, Pune. It is for Maratha, Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha students from Maharashtra who have taken admission in one of about 200 top institutions in India, such as the IITs, NITs, IIITs, AIIMS, IIMs, IISc and IISERs. It covers full tuition and other college fees, hostel and mess fees (or a maintenance allowance for day scholars), and ₹10,000 a year for books and study material. Up to 300 students are selected each year. As of 26 October 2026, the 2026-27 application round is open until 27 October 2026, 6 pm, for both the online form and the hard copy sent to SARTHI. We found no extension notice.

Key dates

The 2027-28 date is an estimate based on the 2026-27 round, which opened on 28 September 2026. SARTHI has not announced it.

Who can apply

These conditions are from SARTHI's terms and conditions for 2026-27, dated 28 September 2026:

• The student must belong to the Maratha, Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi or Kunbi-Maratha caste and live in Maharashtra.
• The student must have passed Class 10 and Class 12 from the Maharashtra State Board or another board's school in Maharashtra.
• The student must have full-time admission to a degree, postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma at one of the listed institutions (Annexure B of the GR of 8 November 2017). The IIT preparatory course does not count. New branches of listed institutions are also covered.
• The admission must be through that institution's entrance process.
• Undergraduates must apply in the first year of the degree. Diploma holders who join the second year of a degree apply in that year.
• Minimum marks: 55% in Class 12 for undergraduates, 55% in the diploma for direct second-year entry, and 55% aggregate across all semesters of the degree for postgraduate courses.
• Maximum age: 25 years for undergraduate courses and 30 years for postgraduate courses.
• Total family income from all sources for financial year 2025-26 must be under ₹8 lakh.
• The student must not have taken any other state or central government scholarship for the same course.

Benefit

• Full tuition fee, exam fee, registration, gymkhana, library and computer fees, as fixed by the university or institute. The money goes into the student's Aadhaar-linked bank account, and the student must send SARTHI proof of payment.
• Students in the institute hostel: hostel and mess fees as charged, paid each semester.
• Students living outside because no hostel room was available: hostel and mess money up to the institute's own rates.
• Day scholars: a maintenance allowance at the rates of the Government of India post-matric scholarship.
• ₹5,000 for books plus ₹5,000 for study material and other academic costs, a total of ₹10,000 every year.

If the student gets a stipend or fellowship from the institute, SARTHI deducts that amount. A student selected for this scholarship cannot take any other scholarship.

Seats and selection

The 300 seats are also split by family income: 100 for incomes up to ₹3 lakh, 100 for ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and 100 for ₹5 lakh to ₹8 lakh (non-creamy layer). Unfilled seats can move between income groups and boards. Undergraduates are ranked on Class 12 marks, diploma holders on diploma marks and postgraduates on degree marks. A committee chaired by SARTHI's Managing Director makes the final selection.

Documents

• Application in the prescribed format
• Maharashtra domicile certificate
• Caste certificate showing Maratha, Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi or Kunbi-Maratha
• Income certificate from the Tahsildar or Naib Tahsildar for 2025-26; Form 16 and income tax return if a parent is salaried
• Class 12 school or college leaving certificate
• Admission letter from the institute
• Aadhaar card, parent's PAN card and Aadhaar-linked bank account details
• All marksheets: Class 12, diploma or degree, every year
• For CGPA or GPA, the university's percentage conversion certificate

How to apply

1. Open SARTHI's 2026-27 announcement page (sarthi.maharashtra.gov.in, announcement "seshantargat2026-27").
2. Download the advertisement, the terms and conditions and the application format.
3. Fill in the online form: the "For UG students" link or the "For PG students" link.
4. Fill in the printed application format, attach self-attested copies of all documents, and send it by hand or post to the Managing Director, SARTHI, Pune. It must reach by 27 October 2026, 6 pm.
5. Both the online and offline submissions are required. Incomplete applications, late applications and applications sent by email are rejected.

Continuing the scholarship

• If you fail once during the course, you get no scholarship for that year but it resumes after you pass. If you fail twice, it stops.
• You must finish the course in the normal time. If you drop out, the full amount is recovered from you or your family.
• Giving false information can lead to criminal action and recovery of the money.

Other SARTHI schemes for students

• CSMNRF PhD fellowship 2026: applications ran from 1 to 31 August 2026 and are closed.
• Free coaching for UPSC, MPSC, SSC and other exams: selection is through the common CET 2026-27 held with TRTI, BARTI, AMRUT and ARTI. The CET was held in September 2026.
• Foreign language course fee reimbursement 2026-27: listed on SARTHI's website as open until 30 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last date for the SARTHI domestic scholarship 2026-27?

27 October 2026, 6 pm, for both the online form and the hard copy to SARTHI, Pune. As of 26 October 2026 we found no extension.

Which colleges are covered by the Punjabrao Deshmukh SARTHI scholarship?

About 200 institutions listed in Annexure B of the GR of 8 November 2017. They include the IITs, IIITs, NITs, AIIMS, IIMs, IISc and IISERs, and others such as Indian Maritime University campuses and NITIE Mumbai. The full list is in SARTHI's terms and conditions PDF.

Can a second-year student apply?

Normally you must apply in the first year of the degree, or the second year if you joined through a diploma. If fewer than 300 eligible students apply, SARTHI may consider eligible students in later years.

What is the income limit?

Total family income for 2025-26 must be under ₹8 lakh. Seats are split equally among three income groups: up to ₹3 lakh, ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh, and ₹5 lakh to ₹8 lakh.

Can I take this with the MahaDBT Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj scholarship?

No. The student must not have taken any other government scholarship for the same course, and selected students cannot take any other scholarship.

Official sources

• SARTHI: 2026-27 domestic scholarship announcement (forms and links)
• SARTHI advertisement for 2026-27 (dates)
• SARTHI terms and conditions for 2026-27, with the list of institutions
• SARTHI: CSMNRF PhD fellowship 2026 announcement
• SARTHI home page (current announcements)

Last checked 26 October 2026. Dates can change; always confirm on the official website.