Mamata writes to Union govt to lower eligibility mark for minority scholarships

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written a letter requesting the Union Government to reduce the eligibility criteria or minimum percentage marks to 45 per cent from currently 50 per cent for awarding scholarships to minority communities students.

The letter of Ms Banerjee was addressed to the Union Minister of Minority Affairs regarding lowering of percentage mark for awarding scholarship to minority students.

Currently, there are three scholarship schemes for minority communities for pre-matric students (classes I to X), post-matric scholarship from classes XI to PhD and merit-cum-means scholarship for technical and professional courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The scholarships are awarded to the students who have secured more than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination and whose parents annual income from all sources do not exceed from Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for school and higher education respectively. Among the total scholarships, 30 per cent have been earmarked for girls.

According to the State Minority Affairs and Madrasa Education department, the scholarship scheme aims at empowerment through education and has the potential to help in the upliftment of the socio-economic conditions of the minority communities. Relaxing the eligibility criteria for availing the scheme would help more students to apply for the scholarships. It will encourage parents from minority communities to ensure their childrens schooling, said an official.

In 2014, a total of 4.8 lakh students from Bengal availed the scholarships under these categories. The number of students from Bengal who received the scholarships was the highest in the country.Prior to this, the West Bengal Chief Minister had urged the Union Minority Affairs Ministry to extend the deadline for applying for online scholarships which the latter had accepted.UNI PC AD SHS RSA GC1714

-- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0108-409148.Xml 1234

Source: Mamata writes to Union govt to lower eligibility mark for minority scholarships