5 November Is the Last Day: ONGC Offers ₹48,000 a Year to 2,000 First-Year Students

If you are a first-year Engineering, MBBS, MBA, or Geology student and you have been waiting to apply for the ONGC Merit Scholarship, do not wait for the weekend. The official ONGC scholarship portal shows 5 November 2026 as the last date to apply, which means tomorrow is the final day.

That date matters because it is not the date most other websites are showing. Several scholarship guides still list 30 November 2026 as the last date. The official portal, checked today, says something different: its home page notice and its application window both put the closing date at 5 November 2026. When the portal and other sites disagree, the portal wins. Apply by 5 November and you are safe either way.

2,000 scholarships, ₹48,000 a year each

The ONGC Foundation runs this scheme for students from SC, ST, OBC, and General-EWS backgrounds who are starting professional courses. In total, 2,000 students are picked each year. The split is 1,000 seats for SC and ST students, 500 for OBC students, and 500 for General-EWS students. Half of all seats are kept for girl students.

Course-wise, the largest share goes to Engineering, with 1,100 seats. MBBS gets 190 seats, MBA gets 240, and Master’s courses in Geology and Geophysics together get 470. Each selected student gets ₹48,000 a year, or ₹4,000 a month, for the course duration, as long as their academic performance and conduct stay satisfactory under the scheme rules.

₹48,000 a year, for 2,000 first-year students, with half the seats kept for girls. But the official portal closes applications on 5 November.

Who can apply for the ONGC scholarship

Only first-year students can apply, and only in four course groups. Engineering and MBBS are the undergraduate options. MBA and a Master’s degree in Geology or Geophysics are the postgraduate options. The course must be a regular, full-time programme at a recognised college, university, or institution in India.

You must be an Indian citizen, and you must not already be receiving another scholarship or financial assistance. The age limit is 30 years. One detail needs care: the portal’s scheme pages still carry an older cut-off date in their text, so check the exact age cut-off shown on your category page before you submit.

Marks and income rules you must clear

For Engineering and MBBS, you need at least 60% marks in Class 12. For MBA and Master’s in Geology or Geophysics, you need at least 60% marks in graduation. If your college uses grades instead of marks, the minimum is 6.0 on a 10-point scale.

On income, the portal’s scheme pages put the family income limit at less than ₹2 lakh a year from all sources. Some other guides list a higher limit of ₹4.5 lakh for SC and ST applicants, so this is another point where you should go by what your category page on the portal says, not by a guide. SC, ST, and OBC applicants need a category certificate. General-EWS applicants need the applicable EWS certificate.

Selection does not involve a separate written test or interview. Students are picked on academic merit and the income rules, with preference for students from Below Poverty Line families. If two applicants have the same marks, the student with the lower family income gets preference. Meeting the minimum marks does not guarantee a seat, because only 2,000 scholarships are on offer.

How to apply on the official portal

Start with the National Scholarship Portal, because you need its One-Time Registration (OTR) number before you apply. Then move to the ONGC portal and follow these steps:

• Complete your One-Time Registration on the National Scholarship Portal and note down your OTR number.
• Register as a new applicant on the official ONGC scholarship portal and pick the scheme for your category.
• Fill in your personal, academic, and bank details, enter your OTR number, and upload your documents.
• Read the whole form once before you submit it. A wrong category or a wrong bank detail can slow down your application.
• Save or print a copy of the submitted form, and follow any further instruction the portal shows after submission.

Documents to keep ready before you start

Keep these papers scanned and ready, so a missing document does not eat up your last day:

• Category certificate, if you are applying under SC, ST, or OBC, or the EWS certificate for General-EWS
• Class 10 marksheet or birth certificate as age proof
• Class 12 marksheet for Engineering and MBBS, or graduation marksheet for MBA and Master’s courses
• Family income certificate from all sources
• Bank details in the prescribed ECS form, plus a PAN card copy
• College identity card and admission receipt
• Your NSP One-Time Registration number

Students who are already tracking other scholarships will know the pattern by now: the form itself is simple, but the documents take time. That is why a 5 November deadline announced on the portal should not be left to the last few hours.

If you missed the NMMSS scholarship deadline news, that scheme runs to 15 November for school students, while this ONGC scheme is for first-year college and postgraduate students. And if you are a girl student looking at more options, the AICTE Saraswati Scholarship is another scheme worth checking alongside this one.