Charpak Scholarship

The Charpak scholarship is a French government award for Indian students and OCI cardholders. The Embassy of France in India runs it through Campus France. It rewards merit, so your academic record and profile matter most.

Charpak Scholarship at a Glance

Point	Details
Who can apply	Indian citizens and OCI card holders. Summer Training applicants must live in India.
Age limit	23 or younger for the Bachelor’s, 30 or younger for the Master’s
Monthly allowance	€860 (about ₹91,126) for Bachelor’s and Master’s. €700 (about ₹74,172) for Summer Training.
Academic cut-off	None. There is no minimum CGPA or percentage.

This page covers the eligibility rules, benefits, the four tracks, how to apply, the selection process, how to check results and the key dates.

Charpak Scholarship Eligibility Criteria

Each Charpak scholarship has its own rules. Age, course type and your education history can all make a difference. 

Each section below lists who can apply:

Charpak Bachelor’s Scholarship Eligibility

• You are an Indian citizen or hold an OCI card.
• You are 23 or younger when you apply.
• You are studying at an Indian senior secondary school now, or you have finished one. Students who studied abroad can apply too, but students from Indian schools get preference.
• You want to do a full-time bachelor’s degree in France, and the whole course takes place there.
• You have applied to a French institution. The scholarship asks for your admission or acceptance letter. If the letter is not ready by the deadline, attach an email that shows you are still waiting for it.

French is helpful but not required. If you are already doing a bachelor’s in France, you can apply for funding for your second or third year.

Charpak Master’s Scholarship Eligibility

• You are an Indian citizen or hold an OCI card.
• You are 30 or younger when you apply.
• You are studying at an Indian institution of higher education now, or you have completed studies there. If your degree is from abroad, you can still apply, but students from Indian institutions get preference.
• You want to do a full-time master’s programme in France, and the whole course takes place there.
• You have applied to a French institution and have an admission letter, or proof that you are waiting for one.

This scholarship does not cover a PhD, a semester exchange, an internship or a research project. If you are already doing a master’s in France, you can apply for funding for the second year. If you have already won the Charpak Master’s Scholarship, you cannot apply again.

Charpak Summer Training Scholarship Eligibility

• You are an Indian national, and you live in India when you apply.
• You find the lab or institution in France yourself, based on your research interests, before you apply. The programme does not place you there.
• You have a no-objection certificate from your Indian university. It should confirm that the university has no problem with you doing an internship or research project in France.

There is no minimum CGPA or percentage for this scholarship.

Planning your next step? Find top universities, costs, and visa requirements to study in France.

Benefits of the Charpak Scholarship

The Charpak scholarship covers more than visa and admin fees. Bachelor’s and Master’s holders also get a monthly allowance, health cover and help with housing. The Summer Training scholarship offers fewer benefits, so check the list for the one you want.

Bachelor’s and Master’s scholarship holders receive:

• A monthly living allowance (see the amounts below)
• A visa fee exemption if you apply from India, and an exemption from Campus France procedure fees
• Student social security and extra health insurance (mutuelle)
• Help finding affordable accommodation through Campus France, with priority access to CROUS residences (Centre régional des œuvres universitaires et scolaires), subject to availability
• Meals at university restaurants for €1 (₹105.96)
• Access to social and cultural activities run by Campus France

The Summer Training scholarship gives a monthly allowance, a visa fee waiver if you apply from India, and a waiver of the Campus France procedure fee where it applies.

None of these scholarships cover travel from India to France, travel within France, or other personal expenses during your stay.

Charpak Scholarship Amount 2026

The monthly amounts are listed on the official Campus France India pages as follows:

Scholarship	Monthly Amount (Euro)	Approximate Amount (INR)
Charpak Bachelor’s Scholarship	€860	₹91,126
Charpak Master’s Scholarship	€860	₹91,126
Charpak Summer Training Scholarship (Charpak Lab Scholarship)	€700, for up to two months	₹74,172 per month

Sources:

The rupee amounts use a rate of €1 = ₹105.96. Exchange rates change often, so the rupee figures are only a guide. Amounts can also change from one year to the next, so check the official page before you apply.

Also Read: Best Universities in France 

How to Apply for the Charpak Scholarship in 2026?

You apply online, and you must apply to a French institution first, because the scholarship asks for your admission or acceptance letter. The steps below cover the full process from start to finish.

1. Apply to a French institution and get your admission or acceptance letter. If the letter has not arrived, you can attach an email that shows you are still waiting for it.
2. Check the official Campus France India page for your scholarship and note its current deadline.
3. Fill in the online application form on the official scholarship portal.
4. Upload your documents. Every file must be in PDF or JPEG format.
5. Write your Statement of Purpose in your own words. It is checked for plagiarism, and the Embassy discourages AI tools, so applications with a lot of AI-generated content are disqualified.
6. Submit only one application. If you are applying to more than one university, put your top choice on the form.
7. Wait for the results. Shortlisted candidates may be called for an online interview, and results are sent by email.

Documents Required for the Charpak Scholarship

For the Charpak Bachelor’s Scholarship, upload:

• A passport-size photograph
• A copy of your passport
• Your CV, up to two pages
• Your admission or acceptance letter
• Mark sheets and passing certificates for Class X and Class XII
• A DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) or DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française) certificate, if you have one
• A letter of recommendation, which is optional (Check out: Letter of Recommendation Format)

For the Charpak Master’s Scholarship, upload:

• A formal passport-size photograph
• The first page of your passport, with your photo and expiry date
• Your CV, up to two pages
• Your admission or acceptance letter
• Academic transcripts and degrees for Class XII, your bachelor’s and your master’s, including completed semesters of your current degree
• A DELF or DALF certificate, if you have one
• A record of any employment or internship, if you have one
• Letters of recommendation as scans of signed and stamped paper letters, with the referee’s contact details

For the Charpak Summer Training Scholarship, the key document is a no objection certificate from your Indian university. It should confirm that the university has no problem with you doing an internship or research project in France.

Check out: Bachelors in France | Masters in France

Charpak Scholarship Last Date

Charpak deadlines differ depending on which track you’re applying for, and the portals don’t all open at once. The 2026 round is over and results are out, so if you’re aiming for Charpak, start putting your file together for 2027.

Where the 2026 round stands

Scholarship Track	What happened in 2026	Status now
Master’s	Applications closed in late March; interviews ran 13-30 April 2026	Closed. Selections done and candidates informed
Bachelor’s	Not opened for the 2026 entry round	Inactive. Watch for a 2027 announcement
Charpak Exchange Scholarship	Closed October 2025; results out in November 2025	Closed. Spring departures have already happened
Summer Training	Closed in early spring 2026	Closed. Session has wrapped up

What to expect for 2027

Campus France India usually follows the same yearly rhythm, so treat these as planning targets, not confirmed dates.

Scholarship Track	Portal likely opens	Deadline likely
Master’s	Mid-December 2026	Late March 2027
Bachelor’s	Mid-December 2026 (if the track is renewed)	Late March 2027
Summer Training	December 2026	Mid-February 2027
Exchange (Spring)	August to September 2026	Mid-October 2026
Exchange (Autumn)	February to March 2027	Mid-April 2027

What if your admission letter hasn’t arrived yet?

To complete your Charpak file you need proof of admission from a recognised French institution. Universities often reply after the scholarship window has already closed. If that happens to you, upload the email confirming your application was submitted and is under review.

A note on recommendation letters

Master’s applicants need physical letters of recommendation, signed and stamped on the recommender’s official letterhead. Ask your referees early, since chasing signatures and stamps at the last minute is one of the easiest ways to get stuck.

Charpak Scholarship Selection Process

Every application is first checked against the eligibility rules, including age, academic requirements and documents. Applications that do not meet these rules are not considered for an award.

The selection then happens in two rounds:

1. Round one: A selection committee reviews complete applications. It looks at academic excellence, consistency, the quality of your Statement of Purpose and your overall profile. There is no minimum CGPA or percentage.
2. Round two: Shortlisted candidates are called for an online interview. The interview window is announced each year and cannot be rescheduled, so check the dates early.
3. Results: Selected candidates are informed by email.

Your Statement of Purpose is checked for plagiarism. The Embassy discourages AI tools, and applications with a large amount of AI-generated content are disqualified. The Embassy does not reply to applicants whose files are incomplete or not considered for an award.

Check out the Statement of Purpose Format

How to Check Charpak Scholarship Results?

Campus France sends results to candidates by email. For some rounds, it also publishes the results as PDF lists on its India website.

1. Check your email on the results date, and look in your spam folder too.
2. For the 2026 Master’s round, selected candidates were informed by email. The official Master’s page does not list a 2026 PDF.
3. For earlier Master’s rounds, open the Charpak Master’s page on the Campus France India website and download the PDF for the year you applied. Lists are available for 2023, 2024 and 2025.
4. For the Spring 2026 Exchange round, the results PDF is on the Campus France India site. It lists each selected candidate’s name, French institution and city.
5. Search the list for your name, as it appears on your passport. If your name is on the list, you have been selected. If it is not, your application was not selected.

Results Notification Channels by Program Track

Scholarship Program	Primary Notification Method	Official Result Location
Charpak Master’s Track	Direct individual email to selected awardees	Communicated via email; past cohorts (2023–2025) archived as public PDFs on the Master's page.
Charpak Exchange Track	Public merit list PDF + Email notification	Published directly under the Campus France India "Scholarship Results" repository.
Charpak Summer Training	Direct individual email notification	Sent directly to selected interns by the Embassy scholarship cell.

Campus France Charpak Scholarship Contact Details

For questions about the Charpak Master’s Scholarship, email scholarship.france@institutfrancaisindia.in. For the Bachelor’s, Exchange and Summer Training scholarships, email scholarship.france@ifindia.in. Include your full name and the scholarship you applied for in your message.

For questions about your region, visit the Campus France office near you page on the Campus France India website. It lists the local offices and their contact details.

Conclusion

The Charpak scholarship is worth a close look if you already have a French admission letter or are close to getting one. The monthly allowance and fee waivers take a real load off your budget. Travel and everyday costs in France are still yours to pay, so make a rough budget before you apply.

If you are ready to apply, check the official Campus France India site for the current round first. Then email the team for your track with your full name and the scholarship you applied for. If you need help choosing a programme, preparing your file, or planning the next steps of your study abroad journey, you can book a free 1:1 counselling session with upGrad’s study abroad experts today.