The Union Culture Ministry’s scholarship for young artistes pays Rs 5,000 a month for two years to 400 trained performers and visual artists aged roughly 18 to 25. For the 2026-27 batch, applicants had to be born between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2008 and send paper applications by 31 July 2026, according to the scheme guidelines from the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT). That window has closed, but the scheme runs every year.
For older artists and researchers, the Ministry also offers 400 fellowships a year at Rs 10,000 or Rs 20,000 a month. Both are open to Chennai’s large pool of Carnatic musicians, dancers, theatre artists and painters, and both reward documented years of training. Here is how they work.
Scholarship to Young Artistes
CCRT, a Ministry of Culture body set up in 1979, runs the scheme. The 2026-27 guidelines set these terms:
- Number and amount: 400 scholarships of Rs 5,000 a month for two years, meant for living costs, travel, books, art materials and training fees.
- Training: at least five years of continuous training under a recognised guru or institution. Beginners are not eligible.
- Nationality: Indian.
- One discipline per form: applicants in two fields must send separate applications.
Fields covered
- Indian classical music, Hindustani and Carnatic, vocal and instrumental
- Classical dance and dance music, including Bharatanatyam
- Theatre: acting, direction and mime (playwriting and research are excluded)
- Visual arts: painting, sculpture, graphics, creative photography, pottery and ceramics
- Folk, traditional and indigenous arts, including puppetry and folk theatre
- Light classical music, including Carnatic-style light music
Applying
The 2026 advertisement opened applications on 15 June and said only offline applications would be accepted. Forms go by post to CCRT, Plot 15A, Sector 7, Dwarka, New Delhi 110075. You need:
- proof of date of birth
- a training certificate signed by your present guru or institution (and a former one, if any)
- a passport-size photograph, signed declaration and detailed bio-data
- photographs of your work if you apply in visual arts
- a disability certificate, if applicable
The guru certificate deserves care. Earlier Ministry instructions said any cutting or overwriting on it makes the applicant ineligible.
Shortlisted candidates face an online interview or performance test before an expert committee, and selection is on merit. Scholars must send a progress report signed by the guru every six months, and payments can be withheld if reports are late. The money is paid directly by the Ministry.
Junior and Senior Fellowships
The fellowships fund research projects rather than training. The scheme page sets out:
| Fellowship | Age (on 1 April) | Per month | Number a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 25 to 40 | Rs 10,000 | 200 |
| Senior | Above 40 | Rs 20,000 | 200 |
- Projects run for two years, with a mid-term review after one year and six-monthly reports.
- Graduation is the minimum qualification for many fields.
- Fellowships are not given for training, workshops, seminars, memoirs, autobiographies or fiction.
- You cannot hold the same fellowship twice. A junior fellow can apply for a senior fellowship five years after the earlier project closes.
- Senior applicants must not be drawing the Ministry’s pension for artistes in indigent circumstances.
- Up to 20% of fellows can get a one-time publishing grant of up to Rs 20,000 or half the publication cost, whichever is less.
Unlike the scholarship, fellowship applications are filed online through the Ministry or CCRT website. Only junior candidates are interviewed. Government employees must apply through their head of office and take two years’ leave if selected.
The cycle is slow. CCRT’s home page shows that expert committee meetings for the 2025-26 batch ran from 20 January to 3 February 2026 for senior fellowships and 16 February to 2 March 2026 for junior ones. Advertisements and forms for the 2026-27 batch are posted there.
Tips for Chennai applicants
- Students of the Government Music College, Kalakshetra or a long-standing guru already have the five years the scholarship needs; collect the certificate early.
- Keep concert notices, sabha letters and recordings. The interview tests performance quality, not paperwork alone.
- For a fellowship, write a sharp research proposal. A study of a Chennai sabha’s archives or a rare repertoire fits better than a general survey.
- Check the CCRT site from May each year; the 2026 scholarship call opened in mid-June.
Fellowship queries go to the Section Officer (S&F) at 011 2464 2133. CCRT’s Director can be reached at 011 2530 9300.
Quick answers
How much is the CCRT young artiste scholarship?
Rs 5,000 a month for two years, for 400 artists a year.
Can I apply online?
Not for the scholarship: the 2026-27 call accepted offline applications only. Fellowship applications are online.
What age do I need to be?
For 2026-27, scholarship applicants had to be born between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2008. Junior fellows must be 25 to 40, and senior fellows above 40.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Guidelines for the Scholarship to Young Artistes scheme 2026-27 (CCRT)
- Advertisement: Scholarships to Young Artistes 2026-27 (CCRT)
- Fellowship Scheme (CCRT)
- Fellowships to outstanding persons in the field of culture (CCRT)
- Centre for Cultural Resources and Training: home page and notices (CCRT)
- Instructions for the SYA scheme, batch 2022-23 (Ministry of Culture)
