National Talent Search Scheme 2023, Check NTSS & NTSE Exam details

National Talent Search Scheme (NTSS) & NTSE Exam details. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established by the Government of India in the year 1961 with a view to bringing about qualitative improvement in school education in the country. No sooner the Council was set up than it mounted a number of programs in this direction.

One such program was to identify and nurture talented students. This program took up the shape of a scheme called the National Talent Search Scheme (NTSS) in the year 1963 which provided for the identification of talented students and awarding them with scholarships.

The National Talent Search scheme, which until now was completely centralized, was partially decentralized and was confined to only Class X. Under the new arrangement, the selection of candidates for the awards became a two-tier process. The states and the union territories were entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the first-tier screening examination known as State Level Talent Search Examination.

Each state and union territory was to select and recommend a stipulated number (state quota) of candidates for the national level examination to be conducted by the NCERT.

The National Talent Search Scheme that covers areas like sciences, social sciences, engineering, medicine, management, and law, helps students by providing financial assistance in the form of a monthly scholarship. For the courses in basic sciences, social sciences, and commerce, this assistance is provided up to the Ph.D. level. For professional courses like engineering, medicine, medicine, management, and law, this assistance will be provided only up to post-graduation.

National Talent Search Examination (NTSE): National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is a National-Level Scholarship Program at the Secondary School level to identify and recognize students with high intellect and academic talent. NTSE is conducted every year at two levels. a. Stage-I (State Level), conducted by the States/Union Territories and b. Stage-II (National Level), conducted by NCERT.

The objective of the two-tier examination is to identify the talented students who have a special aptitude for Sciences, Mathematics, Social Sciences and questions based on Analytical Reasoning.

Eligibility Criteria for Stage I NTSE Exam: 1. NTSE Stage-I is conducted by State/UT bodies. Only Indian students are eligible to appear in this level. 2. The students studying in Class X are eligible for appearing in the test. 3. They are required to have obtained 60% marks in their Class IX, in the last academic year.

4. A student must be studying in a recognized school in the respective State or Union Territory. 5. The SC, ST and PH category candidates get a relaxation of 5% and the maximum score they must have obtained in their Class IX is 55% marks. 6. Students registered under Open Distance Learning (ODL) are also considered eligible for the scholarship examination, if he/she is below the age of 18 years (as on July 1, of the year) and is not employed while appearing for Class X exam.

Eligibility Criteria for Stage II NTSE Exam: a. Students, securing 80% marks or above in the State level exam, are eligible for the Stage-II to be held by NCERT at the National level. b. Around 4000 students are shortlisted for the National level NTSE across the country. c. All students who secure the minimum required marks at Stage-II are eligible for the scholarship program.

Selection Process: It is a Two-Stage Selection Process for an award of Scholarship. For Stage I, Selection is done by States/UTs through a Written Exam. Students who qualify Stage I are eligible to appear in Stage-II examination conducted by NCERT.

For stage-II, there is a quota for each State and Union Territory computed based on Student enrolment at the secondary level. Qualifying marks for candidates from General Category is 40% in each paper and for candidates from SC, ST, PH is 32% in each paper.

Some years ago, this exam used to be conducted for class X students, but then the pattern changed and it started being conducted for class VIII students. The exam will now again be conducted for class X students from 2011. Also, in 2011 Interview was removed from the Selection Procedure due to pressure from a stream of Right to Information applications.

NTSE Scholarships: The scholarship under the present scheme awarded to the candidates for pursuing courses in science and social science up to doctoral level and in professional courses like medicine and engineering up to second-degree level subject to the fulfillment of the conditions provided in this brochure. As on date, 2000 scholarships are awarded in the country with a reservation of 15 percent for SC, 7.5 percent for ST and 27 percent for other backward classes and 4 percent for a group of students with benchmark disabilities.

NTSE Scholarship Amount: The amount of scholarship is as follows: On the basis of the National Talent Search Examination, 2000 scholarships will be awarded. The amount of scholarship will be a. Scholarship of Rs.1250 per month for class XI and XII.
b. Scholarship of Rs.2000 per month for Undergraduate & Post Graduate. c. Scholarship for Ph.D. is provided in accordance with the UGC Norms.

NTSE Reservation: 15% scholarships will be reserved for students belonging to the SC category, 7.5% scholarships for students belonging to the ST category and 3% for Physically Challenged Group of Students.

Selection: Identification of talent comprises a two-stage selection process. While the individual State/UT conducts the first stage selection, the second stage selection at the national level is carried out by the NCERT. There will be a two-stage selection process for award of scholarship. For Stage-I, the selection will be done by States/UTs through a written examination. Students, who qualify Stage- I, will be eligible to appear for Stage-II examination, conducted by NCERT

Eligibility: All students of Class X studying in recognized schools are eligible to appear for the Stage -I examination, conducted by the States/UTs, in which the schools are located. There will be no domicile restriction.

Examination: The pattern of written examination will be as follows:

• Stage I examination at the State/UT level will comprise of two parts, namely (a) Mental Ability Test (MAT) and (b) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which also includes Language Comprehensive Test.
• Stage II examination at the National level will comprise of (a) Mental Ability Test (MAT), (b) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which also includes Language Comprehensive Test.

State Quotas: Each State/Union Territory has been allotted a quota to recommend a specific number of candidates for the Stage II examination, the details of which will be made available on the NCERT website. However, there will be no State/Union Territory Quota for the final award of scholarship after the Stage II examination.