Merit-cum-means scholarships to Konkani speakers on August 20 - VKSSF

Merit-cum-means scholarships to Konkani speakers on August 20 - VKSSF

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, August 19, 2014: At an award ceremony at TV Raman Pai Convention Centre here recently,   to  commemorate inclusion of Konkani language in eighth schedule of the constitution, Ramdas Kamath U, chairman, VKSSF said, Vishwa Konkani student scholarship fund, set up by World Konkani Centre, Mangalore will award merit-cum-means scholarships worth Rs 3 crore to students from various Konkani speaking communities.

The fund hopes to grant  merit cum means scholarship for students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted by the centre in 2010 as envisioned by corporate leader TV Mohandas Pai, VKSSF has since then raised and distributed over 4,500 scholarships to tune of Rs 5 crore. VKSSF presently has several scholarship programmes with flagship programme being engineering and MBBS scholarship programme.

Under this fund, students get annual scholarship of Rs 30,000/Rs 40,000 for respective courses. VKSSF so far has awarded 1,426 engineering and 67 MBBS scholarships. This year, VKSSF will support professional education of 579 engineering and 36 MBBS scholars. VKSSF has study abroad scholarship with annual scholarship of Rs 1 lakh/student. VKSSF has awarded 10 scholarships under this and this year will award 4 scholarships under this category.

To widen the scope of the scholarship fund, VKSSF has initiated a new scheme in 2012 to empower Kudubi and Kharvi communities. Under this scheme supported by the state government, VKSSF gives PUC and degree scholarship worth Rs 2500 and Rs 5000 respectively. It also has a special programme for degree students of the community from Kerala. VKSSF has also supported scholarship programmes of allied NGOs.

KSHAMATA is programme under VKSSF which is a development model for all scholarship participants to accomplish with an end result of personal growth, leadership development, and greater appreciation for Konkani society in particular and global society in general. The VKSSF Alumni Association of students who have been scholars of VKSSF for the full term of respective education courses too has been set up, Ramdas Kamath said.

T V Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education and principal patron of scholarship programme will deliver keynote address. P Dayananda Pai, chairman, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation will preside. Ivan D’Souza, MLC, Sandeep Shenoy, ED, Anand Rathi, S M Syed Khaleelur Rahaman, president, Anjuman group of Institutions, Padmanabha Pai, managing trustee, Sri Venkataramana Temple and others will be guests of honour.