The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, New Delhi, has launched a scheme called the ‘Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children’ to assist children of the Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)’ in pursuing undergraduate courses in their home country.
A total of 100 scholarships will be offered for undergraduate courses in several disciplines including Engineering/Architecture/
The programme is open only to PIOs and NRIs from the specified 40 countries having a larger concentration of the Indian diaspora. Half of the scholarship slots would be reserved for PIOs. However, in the event of the non-availability of suitable PIO candidates, the unfilled slots could be assigned to NRI candidates. NRI candidates would be eligible for the grant of the scholarship only if their total family income per month does not exceed an amount equivalent to $2,250.
Children of NRIs should have pursued at least three years of education, inclusive of 11th and 12th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last six years, and should have passed the qualifying examination abroad.
Candidates would be selected on the basis of their performance in the qualifying examination (equivalent to plus 2 stage in India) which decides the eligibility to apply for the scholarship scheme. The candidates would also have to fulfil all criteria prescribed for the purpose.
The last date for the receipt of duly filled-in application forms isJune 10. Forms can be downloaded from the ministry’s website (www.moia.gov.in) or Ed.CIL website (www.edcilindia.co.in) and also from the Embassy’s website (www.uaeindians.org orwww.indembassyuae.org).