Most Urgent – Time Bound

Last Date of receipt of application

9^th September 2008

High Commission of India

Ottawa

PRESS RELEASE

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs introduced a Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC) in 2006, to assist Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in pursuing under graduate courses in several disciplines in India. Under this program, over 220 PIO/NRI children have benefited during the last three academic years. A detailed booklet prepared by Ed.CIL covering the program had been put in the websites of MOIA (http:moia.gov.in).

The following are the highlights of the SPDC-2009:

· 100 scholarships are being offered for undergraduate courses in several disciplines including Engineering/Architecture/Technology, Humanities/Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management - BBA/BBM, Journalism, Hotel Management, Agriculture/Animal Husbandry, Sciences, Law etc.

· The program is open only to PIOs/NRIs from the specified 40 countries having a larger concentration of Indian Diaspora.

· 50% of the scholarship would be reserved for PIOs. However, in the event of non-availability of suitable PIO candidates, the unfilled slots could be assigned to NRI candidates.

· NRI candidates would be eligible for the grant of scholarship only if their total family income per month does not exceed an amount equivalent to US $ 2,250 (US dollars two thousand two hundred and fifty only).

· Children of NRIs should have pursued at least three years of education inclusive of 11^th & 12^th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last six years, and should have passed the qualifying examination abroad.

· The last date for receipt of duly filled-in application forms in the prescribed format by Ed.CIL is 9^th September 2008.

· PIO/NRI Students already studying in India on a self-financing basis or under any other arrangement will not be eligible under this scheme, which is open only for fresh admissions in the first semester/year of undergraduate courses.

· Candidates would be selected on the basis of a common entrance test to be conducted by Ed.CIL on 26^th October 2008. The candidates would also have to fulfill all the criteria prescribed for the purpose.

· The amount of scholarship admissible would be 75% of the Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) or US $ 3,600 (US dollars three thousand six hundred), whichever is less. IEC includes Tuition fee, Hostel fee & other institutional charges.

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