DOHA: India’s Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs’ ‘Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children’ (SPDC) has announced 100 scholarships for the year 2013-2014.
The programme awards children of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) in pursuing undergraduate courses in several disciplines in India.
A total of 100 scholarships are offered for undergraduate courses in several disciplines including Engineering, Architecture, Technology, Humanities, Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management – BBA/BBM, Journalism, Hotel Management, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Science and Law.
The programme is open only to PIOs/NRIs from 40 specified countries, having a larger concentration of Indian Diaspora. Fifty percent of the scholarship slots would be reserved for PIOs. However, in the event of non-availability of suitable PIO candidates, the unified 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. The last date for receipt of application forms by Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL) is June 10. PIO/NRI students already studying in India on a self-financing basis or under any other arrangement will not be eligible under this scheme, which is open only for fresh admissions in the first semester of year of undergraduate courses.
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 the criteria prescribed for the purpose.
The amount of scholarship admissible would be 75 percent of the total Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) or $4,000 per annum, whichever is less. IEC includes tuition fee, hostel fee and other institutional charges.
Further information and application forms are available online at: www.moia.gov.in or Ed.CIL: www.edcilindia.co.in. The Peninsula
