MANF (Maulana Azad National Fellowship) — Discontinued
MANF is discontinued for new scholars from 2022–23. Read the official status and open alternatives (UGC/CSIR JRF, NF-OBC) — not an eligibility calculator.
MANF is not open for new scholars
Historical research fellowship for minority scholars — discontinued for new admissions from AY 2022–23. This page is a status notice only; there is no eligibility form.
PIB Press Release (Parliamentary reply): Government discontinued MANF from 2022–23 because it overlapped with UGC/CSIR JRF (open to all categories) and category fellowships for SC/ST/OBC (PIB PRID 1909891 / related MoMA replies).
DISCONTINUED for new admissions from AY 2022–23 per PIB/MoMA Parliamentary replies. Knwdle does not ship an eligibility form for MANF — only this status notice and links to active alternatives.
What to use instead
- UGC portal — NET-JRF / research fellowships
Minority students remain eligible for open UGC/CSIR JRF routes where they qualify.
- National Fellowship for OBC Students
If you are OBC (non-creamy layer) and hold NET-JRF for full-time research.
- Government Scholarship Multi-Checker
Cross-check other verified central schemes against your profile.
Do not apply for MANF as a fresh scheme. Use UGC/CSIR NET-JRF, NF-OBC (if OBC non-creamy-layer), NFSC/NFST, or institute fellowships.
About MANF status
Official status
PIB Press Release (Parliamentary reply): Government discontinued MANF from 2022–23 because it overlapped with UGC/CSIR JRF (open to all categories) and category fellowships for SC/ST/OBC (PIB PRID 1909891 / related MoMA replies).
MANF was closed explicitly because minority students remain eligible for the open UGC/CSIR JRF route and for SC/ST/OBC national fellowships where they qualify — the government judged a separate minority research fellowship redundant.
Why there is no eligibility form
Fresh MANF awards ended from AY 2022–23. Shipping a form that always returns “not eligible” would look like a live checker and mislead applicants.
DISCONTINUED for new admissions from AY 2022–23 per PIB/MoMA Parliamentary replies. Knwdle does not ship an eligibility form for MANF — only this status notice and links to active alternatives.
Active alternatives
Do not apply for MANF as a fresh scheme. Use UGC/CSIR NET-JRF, NF-OBC (if OBC non-creamy-layer), NFSC/NFST, or institute fellowships.
If you are OBC (non-creamy layer) with NET-JRF, start with the National Fellowship for OBC Students checker on Knwdle, then confirm on the live UGC portal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still apply for MANF?
No fresh MANF awards from 2022–23. Existing fellows (if any remaining tenure) follow UGC continuation rules — new applicants must use other fellowships.
Why was it discontinued?
MoMA/PIB stated overlap with UGC/CSIR JRF (open to all) and SC/ST/OBC national fellowships.
What should minority research scholars use instead?
UGC/CSIR NET-JRF (open to all categories), plus NF-OBC / NFSC / NFST if you meet those category rules. Use Knwdle’s NF-OBC checker if you are OBC non-creamy-layer.
Where is the official announcement?
PIB Parliamentary reply pages (e.g. PRID 1909891) reproduce the discontinuation decision.
Why does Knwdle still list MANF?
So searchers landing on outdated “MANF eligibility” pages see the official closed status and active alternatives — not a fake calculator that always says “not eligible.”
For developers & AI agents
The MANF (Maulana Azad National Fellowship) — Discontinued is also available as a free, unauthenticated JSON API — no API key, no sign-up, CORS enabled for all origins. Send a GET request with the parameters below and receive the computed result as JSON, including the source of the format or formula used. Invalid input returns HTTP 400 with a JSON { "error": "..." } body.
GET https://knwdle.com/api/tools/manf-eligibility-checker| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
(none) | No | No query params — returns discontinued status and alternative links. |
Request:
GET https://knwdle.com/api/tools/manf-eligibility-checker
Response:
{
"tool": "manf-eligibility-checker",
"scheme": "MANF",
"status": "discontinued",
"openForNewAwards": false,
"summary": "MANF is discontinued for new awards from AY 2022–23. This endpoint does not evaluate eligibility.",
"nextStep": "Do not apply for MANF as a fresh scheme. Use UGC/CSIR NET-JRF, NF-OBC (if OBC non-creamy-layer), NFSC/NFST, or institute fellowships.",
"source": "PIB Press Release (Parliamentary reply): Government discontinued MANF from 2022–23 because it overlapped with UGC/CSIR JRF (open to all categories) and category fellowships for SC/ST/OBC (PIB PRID 1909891 / related MoMA replies).",
"alternatives": [
{
"name": "National Fellowship for OBC Students",
"path": "/tools/national-fellowship-obc-eligibility-checker",
"note": "If you are OBC (non-creamy layer) and hold NET-JRF for full-time research."
},
{
"name": "Government Scholarship Multi-Checker",
"path": "/tools/government-scholarship-eligibility-checker",
"note": "Cross-check other verified central schemes against your profile."
}
],
"applyPortalUrl": "https://www.ugc.gov.in"
}