"Scholarship" covers a wide range of very different programmes in India, and understanding the shape of the system makes it much easier to find what you actually qualify for.
Government scholarships mostly flow through the National Scholarship Portal
The National Scholarship Portal (scholarships.gov.in), run by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology on behalf of the Government of India, is the single application and tracking portal for most central and many state government scholarship schemes. If you're looking for a government scholarship, this portal is almost always the correct starting point — not a third-party aggregator site.
Need-based vs merit-based vs identity-based criteria
Government schemes typically key off one or more of: family income (need-based), academic performance (merit-based), or a specific category such as gender, disability status, or SC/ST/OBC/minority status. Reading a scheme's eligibility criteria carefully matters more than its headline name — schemes with similar-sounding names can have very different income cut-offs or category requirements.
Private and institutional scholarships run their own process
Corporate and foundation scholarships (from groups like Aditya Birla, Reliance Foundation, and many others) typically run entirely separate application processes on their own websites, often with narrower and more selective eligibility (frequently tied to admission at a specific shortlist of premier institutions). Many universities also offer their own merit or need-based fee waivers directly — always check the specific institution's own financial aid page.
Documents you'll typically need
Across most schemes: previous academic marksheets, a bank account (usually Aadhaar-linked for direct benefit transfer), and — depending on the specific scheme — an income certificate, caste/category certificate, or disability certificate issued by the appropriate government authority. Start gathering these well before an application deadline, since certificate issuance itself can take time.