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Journalism of Courage
CHANDIGARH, Jan 4: The Chandigarh Administration has floated a scheme for the benefit of Scheduled Caste students to help them pursue professional courses.
The merit promotion scheme for SC students has also been amended to enable adequate utilisation of funds. Under the new scheme, all SC and Other Backward Class students of Chandigarh would be provided free education in technical and professional courses anywhere in the country, provided they fulfil the laid criterion. The scheme would be made applicable to those who have already taken admission in technical or professional courses from the current academic session.
The SC or OBC students eligible for free education should have passed Plus Two from a local school with 60 per cent marks, should have studied for a minimum of two years in Chandigarh, and whose parents are bona fide residents of Chandigarh with an annual income not exceeding Rs 75,000.
The Administration has invited applications from such students desirous of availing the facility up to January 15, after which they would finalise the grant of free education. The need to have such a scheme was earlier proposed by UT Administrator B.K.N. Chhibber during meetings with UT officials.
Under the scheme, the Administration would refund the tuition fee of selected students, who may be studying anywhere in the country and who may have got admitted in such technical or professional courses either on open merit or under reserved seats. The refund would be subject to a maximum limit of Rs 20,000 per annum. Those selected would also be provided with a monthly pocket allowance and lumpsum allowance at the beginning of the year for buying essentials. Some books would also be provided to them.
The Administration would also reimburse the charges spent by them on visiting their parents in Chandigarh twice a year, in case the students selected are studying outside Chandigarh.
Though the Administration has not set a maximum limit on students and no fixed amount has been earmarked for the purpose, these would be adjudged after the response to the scheme is known. The Administration has also decided to set up a separate fund for the purpose from next year. It has earmarked Rs 34.5 lakh for the benefit of SC or OBC students during the current year, as last year’s fund was also available since it was not utilised as no student was found eligible under the merit promotion scheme.
Meanwhile, under the Merit Promotion (Amendment) Scheme for Scheduled Caste Students, 1998, the Administration has decided to utilise the funds still remaining unutilised for providing furniture, water coolers, sports equipment and library books in schools lacking in infrastructure and where the strength of SC students is 50 per cent or more. The fund could not be earlier utilised since adequate number of beneficiaries under the scheme were not found.
