Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children 2010-11

           
            The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs launched a scheme called the  “Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children” (SPDC) in 2006-07, to assist children/wards of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) in pursuing under graduate courses in several disciplines in India. Under this scheme, over 290 PIO/NRI students have benefited during the last four academic years.

            The following are the highlights of the SPDC-2010-11, which is being announced today;

• 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, Science, Law etc.

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

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

• NRI candidates would be eligible for the grant of the 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 11th & 12th 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 10th June 2010.

• 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 their performance in the qualifying examination (equivalent to plus 2 stage in India) which decides the eligibility to apply for the scholarship scheme. The candidates would also have to fulfill all the criteria prescribed for the purpose.
  
  

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

• Admission may be sought in one of the institutes/colleges/universities given in Appendix ‘C’ of the information booklet.
  
  

• However the procedure for admission in NITs will be notified separately on our website after the ongoing review of the DASA scheme by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) is completed.

      The information booklet can be downloaded from the Ed.CIL website http://edcilindia.co.in

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Consulate General of India
Sydney
8 March, 2010