3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Aug 3, 2026 02:19 PM IST
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and State Bank of India (SBI) Foundation have introduced phase 2 of their Para-Athlete Sports Scholarship Programme on Monday. Under this initiative, the authorities aim to financially assist 80 para-athletes from eight different Paralympic disciplines.
The application process has started online at sbif-ace-pass.sbifoundation.info for candidates to submit their applications before the deadline. The last date to apply for the Para-Athlete Sports Scholarship has been announced as August 9.
Incorporating the technical excellence of IIT Madras, the Acrophase – First human performance research centre, developed by the institute, will provide sports science-based performance assessments to help athletes spot the areas for improvement and optimise their performance in forthcoming competitions
Through this programme, IIT Madras and SBI will provide financial assistance to an equal number of men and women applicants, i.e., a total of 40 male and 40 female para-athletes across varied Paralympic sports such as archery, athletics, badminton, judo, powerlifting, shooting, swimming and taekwondo will be awarded the scholarship.
Monthly Stipend
Shortlisted athletes will receive a monthly scholarship stipend of Rs 40,000 for one year. In addition to the above-mentioned monetary benefit, candidates will also get sports science-based performance assessments, sports nutrition guidance and personalised support.
Know the eligibility criteria
– All candidates possessing Indian citizenship can apply for the Para-Athlete Sports Scholarship Programme.
– Candidates are required to have represented India or any Indian state at the national or international level.
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— Applicants must be below 35 years of age on the application date.
– Candidates with employment or availing any other sports scholarship are not eligible to apply.
– Applicants can only furnish rankings published between April 1, 2024, and July 30, 2026.
Selection Process
Applicants will be shortlisted based on the senior-category rankings and will be evaluated through a points-based system. Under this structure, candidates with higher World, Asian, or National rankings will receive more points.
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Final selection is subject to the programme’s eligibility criteria and verification of the documents submitted by applicants.
Check sport-specific athlete seats
As per the information available on the official website, the following table represents the gender-wise seats available in different Paralympic sports.
The Phase 2 Para-Athlete Sports Scholarship Programme comes after the success of Phase 1, which was launched last year with a total of 26 para-athletes. Phase 1 batch athletes collectively bagged 70 medals in national and international competitions, comprising 32 gold, 22 silver and 16 bronze medals.