BHUBANESWAR: The state government’s much-hyped Bidesh Sikhyabruti overseas scholarship scheme for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) students seems to have hit a wall with no takers. The scheme has received just three applications since its launch in August this year.
The muted response has forced the Higher Education department to look into what has gone wrong. A senior DHE official said only three applications had come in even after the deadline was pushed from August-end to September 18, forcing another extension to September 30.
“If required, the deadline will be extended further,” the official said.
The overseas scholarship scheme was rolled out in August this year under the Mukhyamantri Medhabi Chhatra Protsahan Yojana (MMCPY) to provide financial assistance to Odisha-domiciled students from ST and SC communities aspiring to pursue PG and PhD courses in the top 200 QS-ranked foreign institutes and universities.
Students having an annual family income of up to Rs 12 lakh are eligible to avail scholarship benefits up to Rs 50 lakh, which includes Rs 25 lakh each for two years. The scheme had envisaged supporting around 50 students every year.
Sources said the poor response could have stemmed from a delayed rollout of the scheme, which was announced last year. The DHE had decided to invite applications twice a year, during July-August and December-January, to award scholarship to 50 students in engineering and technical education, medical, agriculture, architecture and other courses including humanities and niche streams.
However, with the applications being formally invited from the third week of August, some students might have moved abroad for the fall semester, that usually spans late August or early September to December, sources said.
The officer said the department has capped the family income to Rs 12 lakh per annum, to help a large section of candidates among the ST and SC communities, to be eligible for the scheme. However, the number of students from ST and SC community going abroad for higher studies in top-ranked universities is significantly low for which getting 50 eligible application in a year will be extremely difficult, he said.
“Considering this, the department might also take a call on expanding the ambit of the scheme to EWS students from other categories including general category. This could help government in achieving the main objective of the scheme - to help needy students to fulfill their dream of pursuing higher studies abroad,” the officer said.
The officer also admitted that many students from the ST and SC communities are still not aware of the benefit of the scheme. “The universities and colleges will be directed to sensitise students about the scheme, while the department will also take steps to publicise it to inform students,” he said.
