New Delhi, Nov. 10 -- Students who fail or miss a university examination will no longer be able to retain their scholarships under the Centre's flagship INSPIRE-Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE) scheme, and the annual research mentorship grant has been restricted to the third and fourth years, reducing the maximum financial support over five years. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has also changed the way scholarships are allocated among school boards, introducing quotas by board, based on the number of Class 12 examinees rather than the number of applications received. DST announced the changes on November 7, opening applications for the 2025 batch of INSPIRE-SHE, following a delay of more than a year. Experts said the revised rules could make it harder for students to retain the scholarship, reduce financial support for research projects and alter the distribution of awards across states, potentially leaving some board quotas unfilled. The online application window will remain open until December 7. Only candidates aged 17-22 who cleared their Class 12 examinations in 2025 will be considered. Every year, around 12,000 INSPIRE-SHE scholarships are awarded to students pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate courses in basic and natural sciences. The scheme provides Rs.5,000 a month, or Rs.60,000 annually, along with a Rs.20,000 annual mentorship grant. htc...