Over 3,700 JK students to avail scholarships for higher edu

As many as 3,747 students from Jammu and Kashmir, pursuing higher education outside the state, would benefit from a special scholarship scheme for the ongoing academic session, the government said today.
The scheme implemented in 2011 by the Centre, aims to provide tuition fees, hostel fees, cost of books and other incidental charges to students belonging to the state who after passing Class XII have secured admission in Government colleges/institutes and other select institutes outside the state.
"For 2013-14 3,747 students would be eligible for scholarships covering the entire budgeting allocation for year," said a HRD Ministry official.
While the number of scholarships awarded in 2011-12 was only 38, it was increased to 3,340 in the year 2012-13.

In all, 5,000 scholarships are available every year, of which 4,500 scholarships are for general degree courses, 250 for engineering and 250 for medical studies.
In order to provide an all India exposure to the students, the scholarships are limited to five per institute plus seats in Centrally Funded Technical Institutions.
Inter-changeability of slots amongst general degree, medical and engineering streams is also permissible with the approval of an inter ministerial committee (IMC).
The IMC also decided that from the academic year 2014-15, only those students would be eligible for scholarship who apply through the AICTE portal and are allotted colleges/seats or those who are admitted to the centrally funded institutions of their own merit.