KVPY – The Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) programme is a well-known national-level fellowship programme that offers financial assistance in the field of Basic Sciences. The scholarship programme offered by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and run by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore helps students to pursue a progressive research career in the Science stream. In fact, the key objective of the KVPY programme is to identify as well as encourage motivated and talented students to pursue a research career.
The scholarship scheme is available for the student studying in class 11 to the first year of undergraduate studies in Basic Sciences. In this article, we will discuss in detail every aspect about this programme including its eligibility, step by step application guide, fellowship award, syllabus, exam pattern, important dates, preparation tips and much more.
KVPY – An outline
Before heading on to know every significant detail about the KVPY programme 2021, you need to have a broad understanding of what actually the programme is and how it functions. The Government of India has entrusted the entire responsibility of running and organizing the programme on to the shoulders of Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. However, to ensure hassle-free implementation of the programme a separate National Advisory Committee (NAC) and a Management Committee has been set up by the government of India.
Every year, the students from class 11th to the first year of undergraduate studies in Basic Sciences apply for this programme through its online registration window which opens for a specified duration. After the application period is over, all the applications received undergo thorough scrutiny that leads to the shortlisting of all eligible candidates for the national level aptitude test that is conducted at various centres nationwide. Furthermore, the students who outperform in the aptitude test are called for the final stage of selection i.e. interview.
Once the entire selection process for Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana is completed, a provisional merit list of finally shortlisted candidates is declared based on the marks obtained by them both in the aptitude test and the interview wherein 75% of the weightage is given to the marks obtained in the aptitude test while 25% of the weightage is given to the marks obtained in the interview.
KVPY – Important Dates to Remember
If you aspire to be a contender for the KVPY fellowships, you should not miss out on these important dates like application start date, application close date, admit card download date, aptitude test date etc. Here are the key dates for the year 2021-22
| Events | Dates |
| Opening of Online Application Portal | 12th July 2021 at 5 PM |
| Last Date to Submit the Online Application | 25th August 2021 |
| Download the Admit Card | To Be Announced* |
| KVPY 2021 Exam Date | 7th November 2021 |
| Release of KVPY Answer Key | 4th week of November 2021* |
| Result Declaration | 3rd week of December 2021* |
| Commencement of Interview session | 3rd week of January 2022* |
*Exact dates be announced in due time
KVPY – Eligibility Criteria
Applicable only for the citizens of India, the fellowship programme expects all its applicants to fulfil the following eligibility criteria that have been categorized into three major streams namely, Stream SA, Stream SX and Stream SB.
|
S. No. |
Stream |
Eligibility Conditions |
| 1. | Stream SA |
|
| 2. | Stream SX |
|
| 3. | Stream SB |
|
Note: A relaxation of 10% in the percentage of marks scored will be given to SC/ST/PWD applicants.
Applicable streams at undergraduate level are – Chemistry, Physics, Statistics, Mathematics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Ecology, Zoology, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Neurosciences, Physiology, Bioinformatics, Botany, Marine Biology, Human Biology, Genetics, Geology, Biomedical Sciences, Geophysics, Applied Physics, Environmental Science and Materials Science.
KVPY – Application process
If you fulfil all the eligibility criteria for the fellowship, you can apply for it online by following the below-given step-by-step application guide –
Step 1: KVPY registration
- Visit the official website and click on the ‘Applications’ button.
- Click on the ‘Registration and Application Login’ button.
- A general instruction page will appear.
- Go through all the instruction and tick the disclaimer and log in.
- Click on ‘Click here for registration’ to start the registration.
Step 2: Registration confirmation
Once registered successfully, you will receive a confirmation message on your registered mobile number and email containing your login details.
Step 3: Filling the KVPY application
- After you have received your login details, you can proceed further to apply for the fellowship programme.
- Log in using the registered email id and password.
- Fill in all required details including personal details, academic details, aptitude test preference, etc.
Step 4: Upload supporting documents
Upload all supporting documents in the specified size and format –
- Your scanned photograph in JPEG/JPG format with size less than 150KB.
- Your scanned signature in JPEG/JPG format with size less than 80KB.
- Scanned copy of caste certificate (for SC/ST) and medical certificate (for PWD) in PDF format with size less than 300 KB.
Step 5: Paying the application fee
After uploading the documents, you will be directed to the application fee payment gateway. You have to submit a one-time application fee of INR 1,250 plus bank charges either through your credit card, debit card or net banking. (Note: The application fee for SC/ST/PWD applicants is INR 625 plus bank charges).
Step 6: Final submission of application form
Once you have made the successful submission of the application fee, you duly submit the application form to complete the process.
KVPY – Aptitude Test pattern
What will be the KVPY aptitude test like? How many questions will be asked? What will be the language of the question paper? How many marks does each question carry? Is there negative marking for wrong answers? These are some obvious questions that may occur in your mind if you aspire for the KVPY fellowship.
It is an online aptitude test that contains about 80 to 120 multiple choice questions for you that have to be answered in a maximum time duration of 3 hours. The questions are available in both English and Hindi language. Divided into two significant parts, the question paper carries negative marking too. For every wrong question that you attempt in part 1, 1/4th of the marks that question carries are deducted. However, for every wrong question in part 2, ½ marks will be deducted.
Find answers to all your questions in the table given below –
| S. No. | Particulars | Details |
| 1. | Types of questions to be asked | Multiple choice questions (MCQs)/Objective type questions |
| 2. | Mode of the examination | Online |
| 3. | Duration of examination | 3 hours |
| 4. | Number of questions (for SA Stream) | 80 Questions |
| 5. | Number of questions (for SB/SX Stream) | 120 Questions |
| 6. | Language of Question Paper | Hindi and English |
| 7. | Negative Marking | 1/4th marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer in Part 1 while ½ marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer in Part 2. |
KVPY – Examination Centres
Where can you appear for the Aptitude Test? IISc conducts its aptitude test online across 99 cities of the country. You can take up the examination at a centre nearby your respective location. Here is a compilation of all the cities where you can find a centre for the examination (region-wise) –
List of Centres in East and North-East Region
|
S.No. |
State |
Cities |
|
1. |
Bihar |
Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Patna |
|
2. |
Chhattisgarh |
Bhilai Nagar, Bilaspur, Raipur |
|
3. |
Jharkhand |
Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Ranchi |
|
4. |
Orissa |
Berhampur, Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur |
|
5. |
Arunachal Pradesh |
Naharlagun |
|
6. |
Assam |
Dibrugarh, Guwahati, Tezpur, Silchar |
|
7. |
Manipur |
Imphal |
|
8. |
Meghalaya |
Shillong |
|
9. |
Tripura |
Agarthala |
|
10. |
West Bengal |
Asansol, Burdwan, Durgapur, Hoogly, Kalyani, Kolkata, Siliguri |
List of Centres in North Region
|
S.No. |
State |
Cities |
|
1. |
Chandigarh |
Chandigarh |
|
2. |
Delhi |
New Delhi |
|
3. |
Haryana |
Ambala, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hisar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonipat |
|
4. |
Jammu & Kashmir |
Jammu |
|
5. |
Ladakh |
Leh |
|
6. |
Punjab |
Amritsar, Bhatinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Patiala |
|
7. |
Rajasthan |
Ajmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sikar, Udaipur |
|
8. |
Uttar Pradesh |
Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Greater Noida, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Noida, Prayagraj, Varanasi |
|
9. |
Uttarakhand |
Dehradun, Haldwani, Roorkee |
List of Centres in South Region
|
S.No. |
State |
Cities |
|
1. |
Andhra Pradesh |
Kurnool, Rajahmundry, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam |
|
2. |
Karnataka |
Belagavi, Bengaluru, Bidar, Chikkaballapura, Chikkamangaluru, Davanagere, Dharwad, Haliyal, Hassan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Puttur, Shivamogga, Udupi |
|
3. |
Telangana |
Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal |
|
4. |
Kerala |
Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kannur, Kasaragod, Kollam, Kottayam, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur |
|
5. |
Puducherry |
Puducherry |
|
6. |
Tamil Nadu |
Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanchipuram, Madurai, Nagercoil, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore |
List of Centres in West and Central Region
|
S.No. |
State |
Cities |
|
1. |
Goa |
Madgoan, Mapusa, Panaji |
|
2. |
Gujarat |
Ahmedabad, Anand, Gandhinagar, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara |
|
3. |
Madhya Pradesh |
Bhopal, Gwalior, Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain |
|
4. |
Maharashtra |
Amaravati, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Thane |
KVPY – Admit card
The admit card for the examination will be made available to all shortlisted applicants in the second week of October. You can download the admit card online through its official website. It is mandatory for every student to bring the admit card with them during the examination without which, they won’t be allowed to take up the exam.
KVPY – Syllabus
The syllabus for the KVPY examination broadly covers topics from four key subjects namely, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology. Here you can find a detailed insight into the topics covered in these subjects –
Physics
- Applications of Physics in Daily Life
- Kinematics
- Laws of Motion
- Work, Energy and Power
- Sources of Energy
- Magnetic Effects of Current
- Reflection & Refraction
- Physical World and Measurement
- Electromagnetic Induction
- Gravitation
- Thermodynamics
Chemistry
- Thermodynamics
- Periodic Classification of Elements
- States of Matter – Gases and Liquids
- Carbon Compounds
- Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties
- Acids, Based and Salts
- Environmental Chemistry
- Basic Concepts of Chemistry
- Chemical Reactions
- Metals and Nonmetals
Mathematics
- Coordinate Geometry
- Introduction to Trigonometry
- Mathematical Reasoning
- Statistics
- Statistics and Probability
- Quadratic Equations
- Trigonometric Functions
- Probability
- Real Numbers
- Surface Areas and Volumes
- Geometry
- Polynomials
Biology
- Plant Physiology
- Heredity and Evolution
- The diversity of Living Organisms
- Reproduction
- Cell – Structure and Function
- Life Processes
- Human Physiology
- Our Environment
- Control and Coordination in Animals and Plants
- Genetics and Evolution
Note: There is no official syllabus offered by IISc. The topics mentioned above are based on experts’ inputs and paper pattern of past years.
KVPY – Fellowships
The students qualifying the aptitude test and the interview will get fellowships to pursue their research in the field of Basic Sciences. The amount of fellowship that you can obtain is given in detail in the table hereunder.
| Course | Monthly Fellowship | Annual Contingency Grant |
| SA/SX/SB (During 1st to 3rd years of BSc/BS/B.Stat./B.Math. /Integrated MSc/MS | INR 5,000 | INR 20,000 |
| SA/SX/SB (During MSc/4th to 5th years of Integrated MSc/MS/M.Math./M.Stat. | INR 7,000 | INR 28,000 |
KVPY Fellowship Renewal/Continuation
With effect from 2012, the duration of the fellowship is 5 years or up to Pre-PhD level (whichever is earlier) which needs to be renewed every year based on your fulfilment of the following conditions.
- You must continue to study Basic Science courses at school, college or university.
- You should maintain a minimum level of academic performance i.e. an aggregate of 60% or first class (50% for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe/Person with Disabilities) marks or equivalent.
- You are also required to pass all the prescribed subjects of that particular academic year. (Note: In case of semester system, consider two semesters).
KVPY – Preparation tips
Now, when you are well aware of the syllabus that is being covered in the aptitude test, you should tighten your belts to head start the preparation for it. Here are some crucial preparation tips for you that will help you in cracking the aptitude test –
Stay focused on concepts
Concepts form the basic foundation for any preparation. Especially when there is a cut-throat competition existing, you need to have a good command over the concepts of Science. Go through the entire syllabus and brush up the concepts covered frequently to avoid any misconception. You can look up for online lectures that are available both in Hindi and English languages.
Keep on practising regularly
“Practice makes a man perfect” – This quote fits best for your KVPY preparation. The key strategy to prepare well for the examination is to devote 80% of your time in practising the questions and remaining 20% time in learning the theory. This will help in improvising your problem-solving skills.
Discuss your doubts
The more you will discuss, the clearer your concepts will become in your mind. In case of any doubt that arises during your preparation, you can ask questions with your teachers or even friends to get an insight into it. Also, you can try to resolve the doubts and problems of your friends as this will help you gain command over what you have already prepared.
Take up the mock tests
The online mock tests for the examinations are available for you everywhere. While you are indulged in practice, it is also advisable for you to take up the frequent mock test to get a gist of what you will face during the exam.
KVPY – Selection procedure
The selection procedure for the programme involves shortlisting of candidates on two stages namely, aptitude test and interview. The initial screening of all the applications received will be done by the set committee and the students who fit perfectly within the defined eligibility criteria will be called for the aptitude test. After this, based on your performance in the aptitude test, you will be further called for the final interview round which will finally lead to the declaration of final results.
KVPY – Results
The final list of students selected for the fellowship will be declared once the aptitude test and interview are over. The final results will be made on the basis of marks obtained by the students in both the aptitude test and interview. The maximum weightage of the score will be given to the aptitude test (75%) while the weightage to interview will be just 25%.
KVPY – Contact Details
If you have any questions or queries related to the fellowship or its application, feel free to contact at –
Mailing Address:
The Convener
Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana
Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore – 560 012
Telephone: (080) 22932975 / 76, 23601008, 22933536
Fax: (080) 2360 1215
Email: applications.kvpy@iisc.ac.in (For queries related to application)
