Charpak Scholarship for Indian Students: Eligibility, Amount & 2027-28 Application Guide

The Charpak Scholarship is the flagship scholarship of excellence run by the French Embassy in India through Campus France India, the official agency for studying in France as an Indian student. It is named after Georges Charpak, the French Nobel physicist, and funds four separate tracks rather than one single award.

Counselor insight: Most students searching for the Charpak scholarship are actually looking for the Master’s track. If you’re still an undergraduate with a university tie-up in France, the Exchange track is usually the faster route in.

Summer Training funding stops at 2 months even if your internship runs longer; you cover any extra time yourself.

As of August 2026, every track is between cycles: Master’s 2026 results are out; Bachelor did not open at all for 2026, and both Exchange sessions and Summer Training for 2026 are closed. Confirm which tracks will reopen for 2027-28 on the official Campus France India pages before planning around one.

Counselor insight: There is no minimum CGPA or percentage cutoff at any level. This is stated explicitly on Campus France India’s own Master’s, Bachelor’s, and Summer Training pages, not just implied. Your target French university may still set its own GPA bar for admission, but that’s separate from the scholarship’s selection criteria. Selection weighs academic consistency, SOP quality, and overall profile, not a single number.

The Master’s track gives recipients Boursier du Gouvernement Français status, which includes:

• Monthly living allowance of Rs.93,740 (€860)
• Visa fee and Campus France procedure fee waiver
• Student social security plus supplementary health insurance (mutuelle)
• Priority CROUS housing assistance, subject to availability
• Subsidised meals at university restaurants (Rs.109/€1 per meal)

It does not cover flight tickets or the differentiated tuition fee France charges non-EU students at public universities, which stood at roughly Rs.4,30,550 (€3,950) a year for Master’s programs in 2026-27. Scholars in a national-diploma program at a public institution may be exempt, but confirm this exemption with your specific university, since it’s decided institution by institution.

Counselor insight: €860 a month usually doesn’t cover rent in Paris or Lyon outright. Budget for the gap, especially the first two months before cost of living support like CROUS housing or meal cards kicks in.

Only PDF or JPEG uploads are accepted. Screenshots, ZIP folders, and scanned social media images are rejected outright.

Counselor insight: A photographed printed LOR, instead of a clean scan, is the most common reason files are flagged. Get a signed hard copy early so you have time to scan it properly.

Follow this sequence for a complete Charpak scholarship application:

1. Apply for admission to your French institution first; you need an admission letter (or proof one is pending) before touching the scholarship portal.
2. Register at scholarship.institutfrancaisindia.in and upload every document above.
3. Write your Statement of Purpose directly in the form. It’s checked for plagiarism, and significant AI-generated content disqualifies the application.
4. Submit only one application. Multiple submissions in one cycle mean automatic disqualification, even across universities.
5. Clear Round 1 (academic record, consistency, SOP quality), then attend the fixed, non-reschedulable Round 2 online interview if you are shortlisted.
6. Check your email for results; full lists are also published as PDFs on the Campus France India site.

The 2026 cycle has closed for every track, and the 2027-28 call has not opened yet. Based on past cycles:

• Missed the deadline: No late window. Strengthen your SOP and LORs and apply next cycle; also check the institution-nominated Eiffel Scholarship as an alternative.
• Low CGPA: No cutoff exists, so this alone won’t disqualify you. A sharp, specific SOP matters more.
• Delayed admission letter: Attach email correspondence showing admission is in process; Campus France explicitly allows such delays.
• Visa refused after selection: The Embassy can revoke the scholarship if your visa isn’t granted, so apply for your visa as soon as results are out.
• Already received Charpak Master once: You cannot receive it again, though continuing scholars can apply for second-year renewal based on first-year results.

1. Charpak covers four distinct tracks, each with its own eligibility, portal, and deadline; confirm which one fits before applying.
2. There is no CGPA cutoff; admission status, SOP quality, and documentation decide your shortlisting.
3. Track the official Campus France India page for 2027-28 dates and start your university admission process now.

Have questions about the Charpak Scholarship? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.