CHANDIGARH: In a first, the Punjab Jail Department has decided to award scholarships to the children of inmates. However, the students will have to meet certain criteria to avail the opportunity.
“The scholarship is for students, who have scored 70 per cent or more, studying in Class X and above. We have decided to give monthly scholarships of `1,000 to children of convicts, who are lodged in various jails in the state. The scholarship amount will not exceed `12,000 annually,” Additional Director General of Police (Prisons), Punjab, R P Meena told Express.
According to the ADGP, “Just three days ago, we selected 12 such children and handed over cheques of `12,000 each to them”.
The Punjab Jail Department is the first in the country to offer such a scholarship. The authorities hope the decision will motivate the children and improve the convicts’ bonding with families. Meena said this might also help convicts to “abjure the path of crime and integrate themselves with the reformation process”. He added, “By this move we hope other such children will be encouraged to study and get good marks. This will also improve our rapport with the convicts.”