With a view to ensuring quality in higher education, the Kerala government has decided to offer a scholarship of ₹1 lakh each to students from economically backward families who have studied in various universities in the State .
Announcing the initiative, Minister for Higher Education R. Bindu said here on Monday that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will carry out the distribution of the scholarships as part of the Chief Minister's Student Talent Award function at the Senate Hall of the Kerala University in the State capital on March 23. Finance Minister N. Balagopal and Vice Chancellors of various universities in the State will be present.
The initiative, a first of its kind in the country, presents the scholarship to 1,000 students with an annual family income of less than ₹2.5 lakh. The award is given to those who have graduated with the highest marks in various subjects in different universities.
Commenting on the programme, the Minister said the scholarship will become a milestone in the sphere of higher education in the State.
Dr. Bindu also lauded the allocations made to Kerala’s higher education sector by the recent State Budget. “The decision to allot ₹200 crore to the universities for establishing translational research centres as well as the announcement of a pilot project to set up industrial units and start-ups adjacent to colleges indicate the priorities of this government,” she said.
The Budget aims to create 20 lakh jobs in the knowledge economy sector. Five of the forthcoming government district skill parks will be under the charge of the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP) under the Department of Higher Education, the Minister said.
