CCRT Scholarship to Young Artistes 2026-27: ₹5,000 a month

**This one is closed for 2026-27, and it is on this site because of when it opens, not when it shut.** The window ran 15 June to 31 July 2026. CCRT has run it on that rhythm, and the next advertisement is not published yet — when it appears, this page is where the new dates will go. If you are an artist in training, this is a page to bookmark in May.

**What it is.** The Ministry of Culture pays 400 young artists ₹5,000 a month for two years so they can train seriously under a Guru or at a recognised institution. The guidelines call it "advanced training within India", and the money is meant to cover living expenses, travel, books, art materials, training and tuition charges, if any.

**Who it is for, in the scheme's own terms.** All six of these must be true:

- You are an Indian National.
- Your date of birth falls between **1 April 2001 and 31 March 2008** for the 2026-27 batch — that is the 18-to-25 band, fixed as on 1 April of the application year.
- You have already **acquired a degree of proficiency** in your field. The guidelines say this plainly: **beginners are not eligible.**
- You have completed a **minimum of five years of continuous training** under a recognised Guru or institution, and you can produce a certificate signed by your present and former Guru or institution.
- You have adequate general education to pursue the training effectively.
- You have adequate theoretical and practical knowledge of the art form.

There is **no income ceiling** anywhere in the guidelines. This is judged on your art and your training, not your family's earnings.

**The fields it covers.** Six groups, and the list inside each is wider than most people assume:

- **Indian Classical Music** — Hindustani vocal and instrumental, Carnatic vocal and instrumental.
- **Indian Classical Dance and Dance Music** — Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Odissi, Manipuri, Thang-ta, Gaudiya Nritya, Chhau, Sattriya.
- **Theatre** — any specialised aspect including acting and direction, **but not playwriting and not research** — and Mime.
- **Visual Arts** — graphics, sculpture, painting, creative photography, pottery and ceramics. Visual arts applicants need a **BFA or equivalent** as a minimum qualification and must send self-attested photographs of their own work.
- **Folk, Traditional and Indigenous Arts** — puppetry, folk theatre, folk dances, folk songs, folk music. The guidelines carry a long indicative list that reaches into forms almost nobody funds: Tholu Bommalattam, Kathputli of Rajasthan, Chadar Badar of Bihar, Pena Ibobi of Manipur, Deodhani of Assam, Bhand Jasan of Kashmir, Ranamalyem of Goa, and the study of Tibetan painting and wood craft at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala. The list is explicitly "illustrative and not exhaustive".
- **Light Classical Music** — Thumri, Dadra, Tappa, Qawali, Ghazal; light classical based on the Carnatic style; Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Atul Prasad.

**What is expected of you if you win.** The training is decided case by case against your background, and it must be advanced training under a Guru/Master or in a recognised institution. The scheme requires **a minimum of three hours of daily practice**, plus theory and exposure to related disciplines. The award runs two years.

**Applications are offline only.** The advertisement says it twice, in capitals: ONLY OFFLINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. There is no portal, no login, no upload. You post the filled form to:

The Director, Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), 15-A, Sector-7, Dwarka, New Delhi – 110075.

**What goes in the envelope.** Self-attested copies, each carrying a photograph:

- Proof of date of birth — birth certificate, Class 10 certificate, Aadhaar or passport. **A horoscope is specifically not accepted.**
- One self-attested copy of your educational qualifications. Do not attach originals.
- Certificate of a minimum five years' training, signed by your Guru or institution, on Part I of the application form.
- One recent passport-size colour photograph.
- The signed declaration form given in the application form.
- Detailed bio-data covering education, training, performances and awards.
- Visual arts applicants: self-attested photographs of your own artworks.
- Disability certificate, if applicable.

**Three traps worth knowing.**

1. **One field, one envelope.** If you apply in more than one discipline, you must send a **separate offline application for each field**. One form covering two art forms is not allowed.
2. **Keep a printout.** You are required to bring a printout of your submitted form to the interview, along with a detailed project proposal.
3. **Playwriting and research are excluded from the Theatre category.** If your work is writing about theatre rather than making it, this is not your scheme — look at the Culture Fellowships instead.

**Where to check for the next cycle.** CCRT publishes the advertisement, the application form and the guidelines together at ccrtindia.gov.in, and the Ministry of Culture lists the scheme at indiaculture.gov.in. Nothing about a 2027-28 date has been announced, and we will not print one until it is.

Dates checked on 27 August 2026. Deadlines move without notice, so confirm on the official page linked above before you apply.