The Deputy Prime
Minister, Shri L. K. Advani inaugurated the Dr. Ambedkar National
Scholarship Scheme by giving away scholarships to a number of
awardees at a function at Vigyan Bhawan here this evening. The
awardees are among the four hundred fifty eight meritorious
students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
who have been awarded scholarships this year to assist them
in pursuing higher and technical education. Dr. Ambedkar Foundation
of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has initiated
the Scheme from this year.
Felicitating the
Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry for starting the scholarship
scheme, the Deputy Prime Minister said that it demonstrates
Government of India’s commitment towards social, economic and
educational empowerment of weaker and marginalised sections
of society. Shri Advani said Dr. Ambedkar believed that education
is everybody’s birth right and should be available to the poorest
of the poor. He said that paying less attention towards education
and health sectors in the past is mainly responsible for the
country not having achieved desired economic progress.
Presiding over
the function the Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment
Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya described the Scheme as a historic initiative
to help meritorious SC/ST students. He said that education is
an important tool in empowering the Scheduled Caste & Scheduled
Tribe communities. Dr. Jatiya said it is for this reason that
the Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry is already giving
post matric scholarships to over 15 lakh students belonging
to Scheduled Castes.
Under the Ambedkar
National Scholarship three students each belonging to Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes having scored highest marks in regular
class X level examination conducted by the Education Board /
Council are to be awarded scholarships each year. A special
award has been instituted for the girl student securing highest
marks in case no girl is among the three meritorious students.
The student securing highest marks in each Board will receive
Rs.60,000 as scholarship while the student securing second highest
marks would receive Rs.50,000 and the student with third highest
marks would get Rs.40,000.
In order to benefit
more students in view the large SC & ST population, the
Foundation has also instituted 250 special merit scholarships
for students securing next higher marks after 1st,
2nd and 3rd positions. Of these 167 have
been earmarked for SC students and 83 for ST students in 35
States and Union Territories. Ten thousand rupees will be given
for each of these special awards. There are 26 Education Boards/
Councils in the country and the total financial implication
under the Scheme would be Rs.125.88 lakhs per annum.
