As IIT Kharagpur marks its Platinum Jubilee — 75 years of education, research and innovation — the institute has announced a special fellowship to recognise high-performing candidates in national-level entrance examinations. The Director’s Platinum Jubilee Excellence Fellowship (DPEF) 2026 is aimed at outstanding performers in GATE, JAM and JEE (Advanced), with the objective of encouraging them to pursue higher education and research at IIT Kharagpur.The announcement also highlights a growing practice among IITs of using scholarships and fellowships to attract high-performing students. While several institute-level scholarships are based on academic performance and financial need, some are specifically linked to performance in JEE Advanced or other national entrance examinations. Here’s what some IITs offer achievers of these examinations.IIT Kharagpur: Up to Rs 90,000 per month for top GATE rankersIIT Kharagpur has introduced the Director’s Platinum Jubilee Excellence PhD Fellowship (DPEF) for candidates who rank among the top 50 in GATE 2026 and choose to pursue a PhD at the institute.Under the fellowship, selected candidates will receive Rs 80,000 per month for the first two years and Rs 90,000 per month for the subsequent three years. The fellowship is subject to the candidate meeting all IIT Kharagpur admission criteria. No separate application is required for DPEF; eligible candidates can apply through the institute’s rolling PhD admission process.The institute has also extended the DPEF to JAM 2026 toppers in ranks 1 to 50 who choose to pursue a master’s degree at IIT Kharagpur.The initiative is part of IIT Kharagpur’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and broadens the institute’s merit-based incentive beyond JEE Advanced to GATE and JAM performers.IIT Kanpur: Rs 3 lakh a year for top 100 JEE Advanced rankersIIT Kanpur’s Bright Minds Scholarships are among the most substantial merit-linked scholarships offered by an IIT to JEE Advanced achievers.Story continues below this adThe scheme is meant for students who figure among the top 100 in the All India ranking of JEE Advanced and join IIT Kanpur’s BTech or BS programmes. The scholarship can continue for all four years of the undergraduate programme, provided the student maintains a minimum CPI of 8.0.Each selected student receives Rs 3 lakh per year. IIT Kanpur’s official breakup puts Rs 2 lakh towards full tuition fees and Rs 1 lakh towards hostel and mess fees, books, medical insurance, and other living expenses.The scholarship was introduced to ensure that financial constraints do not prevent high-performing JEE Advanced candidates from pursuing their undergraduate education at IIT Kanpur.IIT Roorkee: Rs 25,000 every month for JEE Advanced achieversIIT Roorkee offers the James Thomason Scholarship to students securing a high rank in JEE Advanced.Story continues below this adThe institute’s official scholarship page states that students with an All India Rank of up to 250 in JEE Advanced who are admitted to IIT Roorkee are eligible. The scholarship provides Rs 25,000 per month for the entire duration of the programme.The benefit, however, comes with an academic condition. Students are required to maintain a CGPA of 8.0 or above at the end of every academic year to continue receiving the scholarship.This makes the scholarship different from a one-time admission incentive, as the financial support is linked to continued academic performance throughout the programme.IIT Delhi: JEE rank plus family income determines scholarshipIIT Delhi also has scholarships where performance in JEE Advanced is used to identify meritorious students.Story continues below this adThe Amit and Deepali Sinha Foundation Scholarship is available to first-year undergraduate students enrolled in BTech or dual-degree programmes. According to IIT Delhi’s scholarship information, 15 students are selected based on JEE Advanced rank, subject to the specified family-income eligibility conditions. The family income criterion is below Rs 9 lakh per annum, and students should not be availing the Vidya Lakshmi Loan Scheme.The scholarship therefore combines two criteria — performance in JEE Advanced and financial need — rather than rewarding rank alone.IIT Delhi has also received a separate Rs 10-crore endowment from alumnus Dr Amit Sinha to establish a full-ride fellowship for the top five undergraduate students joining the institute each year based on JEE Advanced rank. One of the five fellowships is earmarked for the top woman JEE ranker joining IIT Delhi, with the stated objective of encouraging women in STEM.IITs use scholarships to attract academic talentThe schemes differ in their eligibility and financial value, but the underlying objective is similar: to support students who demonstrate exceptional performance in competitive examinations and encourage them to pursue their undergraduate, postgraduate or research education at the institute.Story continues below this adIIT Kharagpur’s latest DPEF announcement is particularly notable because it covers GATE and JAM performers alongside JEE Advanced achievers, and because its PhD component offers a fellowship of up to Rs 90,000 a month. IIT Kanpur’s Bright Minds Scholarship, meanwhile, offers Rs 3 lakh annually to selected students among the top 100 JEE Advanced rankers, while IIT Roorkee provides Rs 25,000 every month to eligible students with a JEE Advanced rank of up to 250.For students appearing in these national-level examinations, therefore, a high rank can mean more than admission to an IIT. At some institutes, it can also open the door to substantial financial support throughout the academic programme.