Scholarship scheme for college, varsity students

New Delhi: The Government of India on Thursday gave its approval for implementation of Rs 1,000 crore central sector scheme of scholarship for college and university students during the Eleventh Plan.

The scheme will help the meritorious students belonging to poorer sections of the society to meet their day-to-day expenses while pursuing college and university education, who are not benefited by any other scholarship scheme.

It will also help to alleviate any hardship faced by the students due to discontinuation of the old scheme, the Ministry of Human Resource Development said.

The scheme will be operational from the financial year 2008-09 and payments will be made from the year 2008-09 till the completion of the course by the student.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) also gave its approval to renew scholarship of the national scholarship holders under the old scheme, with effect from 2008-09 till completion of their courses.

The government will disburse the scholarship to them through the designated banks under the new scheme, without payment of arrears.

Meanwhile, the CCEA has also given its nod for initiation of the new programme "Scholarship for higher Education (She)"—a component of "Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (Inspire)."

The Rs 820 crore programme will strengthen the innovation infrastructure of the country by promoting human resource development.

The scheme, to be operational from the year 2008-09, aims to enhance the number of attachment of talented youth to undertake higher education in science intensive programmes by providing scholarships and mentoring through summer attachment to performing researchers.

The scheme would provide mentorship support to every scholar through Inspire scholarship programme.

Inspire would communicate to the youth population of the country the excitements of creative pursuit of science and attract talent to the study of science at an early stage and build the required critical HR pool for strengthening the S&T system and R&D base.
—iGovernment Bureau