New Delhi, 5 October 2021 – Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia handed over cheques worth Rs 48.14 crore to 6,820 students in Delhi on Monday, 4th October 2021. Sisodia extended this financial assistance to students who have passed Class 12 and are pursuing higher education under the Delhi government’s flagship programme ‘Merit-cum-Means’ financial assistance scheme.
आर्थिक अभाव के कारण दिल्ली का कोई भी छात्र उच्च शिक्षा से वंचित न रहे, इसे लेकर @ArvindKejriwal सरकार प्रतिबद्ध है।
आज केजरीवाल सरकार की तरफ से 7 हज़ार बच्चों को उनकी उच्चतर शिक्षा के लिए 48 करोड़ की सहायता राशि प्रदान की गई। pic.twitter.com/NG3Wuwvygi
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) October 5, 2021
While distributing the cheques to students, Sisodia said, “It is the responsibility of the Delhi Government to ensure that talented and ready-to-work students do not miss out on the opportunity to study. It is the responsibility of the Delhi government to look after children who are progressing in the field of higher education and not stop studying due to lack of funds.”
Over 13,000 students have received benefits amounting to Rs 87 crore under the scheme in the last three years.
The deputy chief minister added, “We have been included in the list of the top universities of the country, but the day is not far when the higher education institutes of Delhi will be included among the top institutes of the world. We have to persistently work hard to achieve this.”
Details of ‘Merit-cum-Means’ Financial Assistance Scheme
The Directorate of Higher Education formulated the ‘Merit-cum-Means Linked Financial Assistance Scheme’ of the Delhi Higher Education Aid Trust in the academic year 2017-18.
It was created to ensure that no student is deprived of higher education due to financial constraints. Besides, this financial scheme provides access to quality higher education for students irrespective of their economic background.
- The Deputy CM said that at the beginning of this scheme, only 2,500 students have benefited from a budget of Rs 14 crore.
- The Delhi government gave Rs 14.16 crore to 2,429 students in 2018-19.
- 3,760 students were provided Rs. 24 crores in 2019-20.
- To avail of the benefits under the scheme, a student must secure at least 60% marks in graduation.
- The scheme provides 100% financial assistance to the children of ration cardholder families.
- The students whose annual family income is less than Rs 2.50 lakh are offered 50% financial assistance.
- The students whose annual family income is more than Rs 2.50 lakh but less than Rs 6 lakh are provided 25% financial assistance.
Sisodia’s Appeal to Students
Manish Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s Education Minister, stated that unemployment is the biggest crisis the country is facing today. He appealed to the students to become job providers and create opportunity-providing businesses/companies so that children living abroad start dreaming of getting jobs in India.
He further added that a country can become a developed nation not on the strength of the governments or their policies but due to better quality education.
He also appealed to the beneficiaries to take up the responsibility to become good businessmen, officers, teachers and do their duty towards the country.
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