Scholarship scheme for Jammu and Kashmir students receives enormous response

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The special scholarship scheme for the students of Jammu and Kashmir for higher education outside the state has received enormous response this year because of the awareness workshops organised in Kupwara, Anantnag, Srinagar, Pulwama, Jammu, Doda, Rajouri, Kathua, Kargil, and Leh earlier in May this year. Union Human Resource and Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar also thinks that the scheme has been a "big draw" this year.

"Because of the transparency brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the scheme and conduct of these 10 awareness workshops, the special scholarship scheme for Jammu and Kashmir students has been a big draw this year... More than 5,000 students of Jammu and Kashmir had applied for this scholarship," he said.

He said that scholarships worth Rs 75 crore have been given this year under the scheme.

Earlier, the quota for Jammu and Kashmir students in engineering colleges was limited to only 250, but 1,430 students were granted admission in various reputed engineering colleges this year.

This was due to the enhancement, for the first time, of the supernumerary quota in various engineering branches from 2 to 10, i.e. quota of 10 seats for Jammu and Kashmir students in each engineering college over and above the sanctioned strength.

This year, Hotel Management and Nursing were also included under this special scholarship scheme.

While 15 students were admitted to reputed hotel management Institutes, 284 students secured admission in various reputed nursing colleges.

Besides this, 177 students of Jammu and Kashmir got admission in medical colleges on their own merit.

In general stream 1,014 students got admission. Overall total scholarships awarded to students of Jammu and Kashmir this year is 3,584 of which 1,329 students were from Kashmir Valley, 26 from Ladakh and 2,255 from Jammu.

-ANI