The Punjab Government has invited applications from the educational institutions to provide scholarships to the students belonging to minority communities of the state under Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme by August 31, 2014. Under this scheme, students from 6th to 10th standard would be given admission fee @ Rs.500 per annum and tuition fee @ Rs.350 per month for hosteller and day scholars. Similarly, maintenance allowance payable for a period not exceeding ten months in an academic year for students from class 1st to 5th @ Rs.100 per month for day scholars and for students from class 6th to 10th @ Rs.600 per month for hostellers and Rs.100 per month for day scholars. It was disclosed by Mr. Gulzar Singh Ranike, Social Welfare Minister, Punjab, here today.
He said that the Punjab Government is fully committed for the overall development of the students belonging to minority communities, scheduled castes and backward classes across the state. Mr. Ranike said that proposals are invited from the government, recognized and private schools and institutions affiliated with PSEB, CBSE, ICSE for providing scholarships to the minority communities; Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains students studying in 1st to 10th classes under Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme.
He said that students, who have secured not less than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination, regular in attendance, whose parents or guardians’ annual income from all sources should not exceed Rs.1 lakh and should be domicile of Punjab, are eligible for the scholarship.He informed that the Heads of concerned schools/institutions to prepare consolidated demand for further submission to District Education Officer (DEO) of the district, in the shape of hard and soft copies and further forward it to the Director, Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department (Minority Wing), Punjab in a prescribed format up till September 10, 2014.
He said all the particulars regarding eligibility of the student will be verified and certified by the Head of the concerned school or institution. They have also been asked to ensure that each eligible student should be included in the demand and no eligible student has been left out. He said that demand/applications received directly from the students/parents/institutions will not be entertained and will be rejected automatically.
Mr. Ranike informed that application format and other relevant information can be downloaded from the website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in and queries and suggestions could be sent on e-mail ID [email protected] and toll free number 1800-137-0015.