Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: While the bureaucracy and political parties spar over the location of IIT and IIM in J&K, Army has been able to bring the IIT and such Universities to the poor and the uncared peoples doors, courtesy subscribing to a scholarship scheme of GoI which was till 2011 under wraps.
While the genesis of this unique scholarship scheme for students of J&K can be traced to 2010 when the then PM Dr Manmohan Singh had asked the expert group headed by C Rangarajan, the former Governor of RBI, the Army got into it only in 2011 seeing the apathy of the locals.
With the State and the Government machinery not interested to facilitate capable children avail this educational scholarship for a minimum period of five years, the White Knight Corps of the Army took this noble venture under it wings.
The proposal had the cabinet approval and an amount of Rs 1200 crores was earmarked.
Out of the 5000 scholarships offered each year to the students of J&K, 4500 scholarships are allotted for regular graduate courses and 250 each for engineering and medical studies, including MBBS and BDS. The Scheme provides yearly fees up to Rs 3 lakh and hostel charges up to Rs 1 lakh for medical courses.
The youth of J&K has not been able to reap the benefits of economic development ushered in J&K with the arrival of MNCs like Jay Pee Gp, IRCON etc.
Delta Force of the Army White Knight Corps which has remained on the forefront to engage youth through various Initiatives like giving wide publicity to various skill development schemes of Central Government like Project Himayat and Project Udaan, took the initiative to educate the youth about the benefits of this scheme.
Abu Baqr, father of Shauzhada, a young IIT aspirant says, “If my daughter becomes an Engineer, I can proudly say what Army has done for me.
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