KOLKATA: The Bengal government has made a three-fold rise in fund allotment to a scholarship scheme for helping meritorious students from economically backward families after it received a record six lakh applications.
Revamped in 2016, the Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship saw it fund allocation increase from Rs 395 crore to Rs 1,200 crore this year.
Meritorious students pursuing higher studies get a monthly stipend between Rs 1,000 and Rs 8,000 depending on the course they are applying for. The assistance is meant for the students pursuing higher secondary, UG and PG courses.
“Last year, Rs 395 crore was allocated for 3 lakh applicants. This time, the sum was increased for 6 lakh students. We are already disbursing the monthly stipend to the accounts of more than 1.8 lakh students while the remaining applications are awaiting clearance from educational institutions,’’ said an official.
Sources in the education department said most of the applications were received from East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Hooghly, Bankura, Nadia, North 24 and South 24 Parganas.
‘‘The deadline for submitting application is not yet over. We are expecting more applications.’’
Nirmal Biswas, son of a daily wage earner in Bankura, has applied for the financial assistance after he cleared the Class X exam. ‘
‘The stipend will help in buying books and bearing tuition fees,’’ said the teenager who aspires to become an engineer.