Workshop to help SC scholarship awardees to seek admission abroad for higher studies
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is organising a workshop to help the awardees of the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Castes etc. in securing admission in higher studies in reputed universities abroad. The Workshop, first of its kind, will be attended by about 37 candidates who have been awarded scholarship for overseas studies. They include 20 candidates, who have been awarded the scholarship for the year 2004-05. Out of these three have already gone abroad and have joined the courses of their choice. Another eight candidates have secured admission in reputed universities of USA, Britain, Australia and Germany. Remaining nine candidates are yet to secure admission. They have three years time to seek admission under the scheme but the endeavour of the Ministry is to ensure that they get admission faster.
Under the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme, which was introduced in 1954-55, 20 scholarships are awarded each year by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Out of them 17 candidates belong to Scheduled Castes, 2 candidates to Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic Tribes while one candidate is selected from Landless Agricultural Labourer and Traditional Artisans families. Scholarships under the scheme are awarded for pursuing higher studies including post-doctoral research abroad in 20 specified fields of engineering, technology and science.
Scholarships, however, are not given in disciplines of agriculture, medical science and subjects of Indian studies. So far 792 candidates were selected out of which 548 candidates have actually availed the scholarship.
Each scholarship includes payment of fee charged by Institutions, Annual Maintenance Allowance, Contingency Allowance, Visa Fees, Air Passage, Medical Insurance Premium etc. The scheme is implemented with the active support of the Ministry of External Affairs and all payments are routed through our diplomatic missions abroad. One of the important features of the scholarship scheme is that selection is made purely on merit basis from amongst the candidates who have a brilliant academic record with specified years of work experience.
MLD:LK:sje-19(SC Scholarship)(22.6.06)
(Release ID :18510)