Early Times Report
KATRA, Feb 22: As part of its various continuing programmes to promote the interests of the erstwhile Baridar families, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board today released over rupees one crore as scholarships to 1360 students belonging to the erstwhile Baridar families for the ongoing academic session. With this, the total amount paid by the Board as scholarships to students belonging to the erstwhile Baridar families from 2002-03 to 2018-19 will cross Rs. 5 crore. So far, more than 11000 students have benefitted from this scheme of SMVDSB. A spokesperson of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said that under the scholarship scheme priority is given to promote the education of girls by providing them scholarships at a higher scale. Giving details, he said, "the students studying in class 1st to the post-graduation level are provided scholarships ranging from Rs. 3,000/- to Rs. 18,000/- per annum. In the case of girls, the scholarship amount ranges from Rs. 4,200/- to Rs. 18,000/- per annum while in the case of boys, the amount ranges from Rs. 3,000/- to Rs. 14,400/- per annum, depending upon the classes in which the student is enrolled.'' Based on their class-wise internal merit, scholarships are given to the top 10 meritorious students studying in I-XII class in Government schools. As a special concession, the Shrine Board pays scholarships to Undergraduate and Post-Graduate Degree course students of erstwhile Baridar families who may be studying anywhere in the country, provided that the beneficiary student's family normally resides in the villages surrounding the Trikuta Hills. It is pertinent to mention here that this year the Board has released highest ever amount as scholarship component on account of hike in the rates of scholarship amounts by the Chairman of Shrine Board (Governor, J&K). |
