Delhi government launches ‘merit cum means’ scholarship scheme

Delhi government on Tuesday launched ‘merit cum means’ scholarship scheme in the national capital, with an aim to benefit the students from poor and moderate means of income group.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while making the announcement in New Delhi, said the scholarship scheme would be a fee waiver scheme for the needy students who pursue higher studies in any of the state universities of Delhi, namely GGS Indraprastha University, Delhi Technological University, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Ambedkar University, Indira Gandhi Delhi Technological University for Women and Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU).

Sisodia, who also holds education portfolio, said that to avail the benefit of the scheme the students must have secured at least 60 per cent marks in the class he/she has passed.

“The scheme has been divided in three slabs -- 100% fee waiver for category of students coming from a BPL family, 50% fee waiver for students from families with income upto Rs 2.5 lakh per annum and 25% fee waiver for students from families with income above Rs 2.5 lakh and not exceeding Rs 6 lakh per annum,” Sisodia told reporters.

He added the scheme would be applicable to all students in any of the undergraduate courses.

He also said that in case of SC/ST students, an additional 5% waiver in the fee would be given.

“It is a proud moment for the people of the national capital that Delhi will be the first state to provide fee waiver to students from families with income upto Rs 6 lakh per annum,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said.

He added that the scheme is expected to benefit about 20-25,000 students from poor and moderate means of income. The scheme has been framed under the framework of The Delhi Higher Education Aid Trust.

The scheme would also be extended to the Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (NSIT) as and when the institution becomes a state university.

“AAP government is committed to ensure that no child is left behind in the higher education system for want of monitory resources. We have allocated a budget of Rs 10 crore for the academic year 2017-18 for this scheme,” Sisodia added.