India Announces 1,000 e-Scholarships for Afghan Students 2025-26

India has announced 1,000 e-scholarships for Afghan citizens for the academic year 2025-26. Under this, Afghan students can apply for a wide range of online programs offered by nine Indian universities.

• As an important effort to promote higher education among Afghan youth, India has announced 1,000 e-scholarships for Afghan citizens for the academic year 2025-26.
• This initiative is part of the Special Scholarship Scheme for Afghan Nationals (SSSAN) through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which allows students to pursue online undergraduate and postgraduate courses through the government’s e-Vidyabharati (e-VB) i-Learn portal.
• This announcement, following similar scholarship grants in 2023-24 and 2024-25, enhances India’s commitment towards Afghan students.
• Under this scheme, Afghan citizens aged between 18 and 35 years can apply for a wide range of online programs offered by nine Indian universities, including Jamia Millia Islamia, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Anna University and Kurukshetra University.

E-scholarship

• According to the World Bank, Afghanistan is one of the countries with the youngest population in the world, where two-thirds of the population is under 25 years of age. Afghan youth are important for the development of their country and have the potential to become carriers of peace and prosperity.
• These courses span subjects such as business administration, commerce, computer science, arts, political science, education, journalism, psychology and mass communication, ensuring that Afghan learners can acquire globally relevant skills without leaving their country.

Application process

• “The applicant may reside in any part of the world, but must have a valid national identity card/passport of Afghanistan,” the official document said. Applications are open from 1 September to 6 September 2025 through the dedicated Afghan i-Learn portal.
• The degrees awarded will be recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and physical certificates will be handed over through the Indian Mission in Kabul.
• The selection process includes screening by Indian universities, identity verification by the Indian Mission in Kabul, and final approval by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and ICCR.
• This initiative reaffirms India’s role as a hub of inclusive, technology-driven education and its commitment to promoting people-to-people ties with Afghanistan through cultural and educational exchanges.