FM has good news for SC students, says scholarship fund to be hiked

The Government had spent about Rs 1,822 crore in the Tenth Five Year Plan on the scheme that benefited 1.16 crore students. Last week, the Cabinet had cleared the Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana to be launched on Gandhi Jayanti.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram said, “In the Eleventh Five Year Plan, the outlay has almost been tripled to Rs 5,000 crore. A crucial modification has also been made in the scheme that was only available to students getting admission in Government colleges. Now, the Government will also pay the fees for students gaining free seats in private educational institutions for which selection is done on merit basis.”

The gross enrollment ratio of Scheduled Caste students in the country is barely 5 per cent as compared to the national average of 10 per cent, he said. “So many more students need to be encouraged to take up higher education,” he said.

Other decisions

• Indo-Italian Renewable Energy Cooperation Agreement

• Jallaram Shaft Project of Singareni Collieries

• Bilateral Cooperation pact in Health and Medical Science with Mongolia

• Construction of Chancery and staff residences for Indian Embassy in Kathmandu

• Passport Seva Project

• Extradition and Criminal Matters treaty with United Mexican States

• Transfer of Sentenced Persons Pact with Egypt

• Health Science and Technology Institute at Faridabad

• Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Pact with Uruguay