Question : Scholarship to Students

(a) whether the Government of India have any scholarship/grant schemes for Indian Students travelling abroad for higher studies;

(b) if so, the list of all such scholarship/grant programs in the country;

(c) the number of students who have benefitted from the above mentioned scholarship/grant schemes in the country, year-wise and State-wise, during the past five years; and

(d) whether the Government is willing to consider or is considering for expanding the existing pool of Government sponsored scholarship schemes for Indian Students applying for high studies, particularly in areas like Public policy, Public administration, Development studies and International Relations etc?

MINISTER OF EDUCATION
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)

(a) to (c) Yes, Sir. Government of India is implementing schemes for scholarship/grant for Indian students travelling abroad for higher studies which are as follows: -

1. National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students: The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment under which financial assistance is provided to the selected students from Scheduled Castes, De-notified Nomadic & Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Landless Agricultural Labourers and Traditional Artisan categories for pursuing Masters level courses and Ph.D. The year-wise and state-wise number of students benefitted under the scheme in the last five years is at Annexure-I.

2. National Overseas Scholarship for Scheduled Tribe Students: The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs where in financial assistance is provided to the meritorious Scheduled Tribe students for pursuing Master level courses, Ph.D. and Post Doctoral programme in foreign Universities in the fields of engineering, technology and science. The family income ceiling is Rs. 6 lac per annum. The year-wise and state-wise number of students benefitted under the scheme in the last five years is at Annexure-II.

3. Padho Pardesh: The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The scheme targets meritorious and economically weaker students belonging to the six notified minority communities. Under the scheme, interest subsidy is awarded to students on the interest payable for the period of moratorium for the educational loans taken to pursue approved courses of studies abroad at Masters/Ph. D. /M. Phil levels. The family income ceiling is Rs. 6 lac per annum. The year-wise and state-wise number of students benefitted under the scheme in the last five years is at Annexure –III.

4. University Grants Commission (UGC) has informed that as per the Education Exchange Programme between India and Hungary, the Hungarian Govt. offers 200 scholarships to Indian students for pursuing Higher Education in Hungarian Higher Education Institutions. Year –wise number of students benefitted in the last five years is at Annexure – IV.

5. Under the Cultural and Educational exchange programme, countries namely, Italy, South Korea, China, New Zealand, United Kingdom are offering scholarships to Indian students for pursuing Higher Education in these countries. Ministry of Education facilitates the nomination process for these scholarships. The number of Indian students nominated during the last five years is at Annexure – V.

(d) No, Sir. There is no such proposal.