Tamil Nadu: Rs 36 lakh per annum aid for 50 government students to pursue PG abroad
Department reserves 33 per cent of seats for women
CHENNAI: Following the recent announcement in the State Assembly, the Tamil Nadu government has introduced a new scheme to provide financial assistance to government school students to help them pursue postgraduate courses in renowned universities abroad.
The announcement was made in the House to take affirmative action in achieving equality among the students studying in government schools and private schools, and to motivate the government school students to join premier Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in foreign countries.
Higher Education Department secretary P Sankar, in his official order, said based on the announcement, the commissioner of Technical Education has sent the detailed proposal to the government regarding the objective of the scheme, eligibility conditions, minimum qualification, age, income ceiling, application procedures and selection procedures.
He further said that the commissioner has also sent details on mandatory conditions, financial assistance, duration of award with financial assistänce under the scheme and furnishing of false information.
In view of this, the commissioner has requested the government to issue necessary administrative and financial sanction orders for a sum of Rs 18 crore for 50 students as recurring expenditure, Sankar said. This scheme will provide Rs 36 lakh per student per annum with a maximum period of one to two years to pursue postgraduation in renowned universities abroad.
According to the guidelines issued by the Higher Education Department, students who have completed from 6th to 12th standard in state government schools, followed by a UG degree, or 6th to 10th standard in government schools, followed by a three-year diploma in state-owned polytechnic colleges, are eligible.
The scheme provides financial assistance to 50 selected candidates (not more than 30 years) per year to pursue full-time on-campus master's level courses in the top 500 Universities abroad as per the latest QS World University Rankings.
The guidelines further said that of the total 50 students, the financial assistance will be given to 25 Engineering stream students and 25 Arts and Science and Humanities stream students.
Of the total selected students, 33 per cent of seats are reserved for female candidates, it said. Students can access the guidelines at https://dte.tn.gov.in/index.php/Homepage/all-annocement.
