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For years, the Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY) was the national test for school students who wanted a research career in science. Many older guides still mention it. This post sets out what the official sources say happened to KVPY, and the routes a science-minded student in Class 11 or 12 can take now, with what each one asks of you.
What was KVPY?
The KVPY website, archived in February 2023, described it as a national fellowship programme in basic sciences, started and funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) ran an aptitude test, then interviews. Students from Class 11 up to the first year of a basic science degree could be selected, and fellowships continued up to pre-PhD level.
Is KVPY still held?
No. The same archived page carried this notice: "DST has decided to subsume KVPY with INSPIRE. KVPY Aptitude test will not be conducted from the year 2022 onwards. Ongoing KVPY fellows will continue to receive fellowship as per norms from DST."
A DST INSPIRE portal notice of 30 September 2022 then explained that ongoing KVPY fellows would receive their scholarships through the INSPIRE web portal, using data provided by IISc. So existing fellows were moved across, and no new KVPY batches are selected.
Which routes are open now?
1. INSPIRE-SHE scholarship (after Class 12). This is the closest thing to KVPY's funding role. The official SHE FAQ describes ₹80,000 a year for students in BSc, BS or integrated MSc courses in basic and natural sciences. The main route in is an aggregate in the top 1% of your Class 12 board, and the FAQ also lists KVPY selectees, NTSE and JBNSTS scholars and International Olympiad medallists as eligible. Our guide to INSPIRE-SHE eligibility goes through the rules.
2. INSPIRE Internship science camps (Class 11). DST's INSPIRE Internship guidelines describe five-day camps where students meet working scientists. Eligibility: top 1% in your Class 10 board exam, studying science in Class 11, not having attended a similar camp, and from the state or UT where the camp is held. Camps are run by universities and institutes, and your school may be approached to fill the registration form.
3. Science olympiads (school years). The olympiad route rewards deep problem solving, as KVPY's test aimed to, and an International Olympiad medal is one of the SHE eligibility routes. Check the official olympiad pages for each subject's stages and dates.
4. BS-MS entrance exams (Class 12). For students who want to go straight into a research-focused degree, see our guides to the IISER Aptitude Test and NEST for NISER and CEBS. Check each exam's official site for the current year's dates and pattern.
How should a Class 11 student plan? A worked example
Take Aarav, in Class 11 science in 2026-27, who would once have taken KVPY. Here is how the routes line up:
Now (Class 11): if he was in the top 1% of his Class 10 board, watch for INSPIRE Internship camps in his state. In parallel, register for the olympiad stage that fits his strongest subject.
Class 12: sit the BS-MS entrance exams he is interested in, alongside board exams.
After Class 12: if he joins a basic science degree and is in his board's top 1%, or qualifies through another listed route, apply for INSPIRE-SHE in the same year, since the FAQ says you apply in the year you finish Class 12 and enrol.
The point of the plan is that no single test decides everything. Each route asks for a different kind of preparation.
What preparation carries across all of these?
KVPY rewarded students who could reason from first principles rather than recall. That still helps everywhere. A small example: a ball is dropped from a height of 20 m (take g = 10 m/s²). How long does it take to land, and how fast is it moving?
h = ½gt², so 20 = ½ × 10 × t², giving t² = 4 and t = 2 s.
v = gt = 10 × 2 = 20 m/s. Check with v² = 2gh = 2 × 10 × 20 = 400, so v = 20 m/s.
Solving a problem two ways, and checking that the answers agree, is the habit that olympiads and aptitude tests reward.
If you want to see what university-level science feels like before choosing a degree, Fermi's Courses are university-level courses taught by working scientists, with the AI tutor available on every lecture.
This week, check whether your Class 10 marks put you in your board's top 1%, and ask your school whether it has received an INSPIRE Internship registration form.
