Minority scholarship to go online

A first of its kind project for the ministry,the OSMS will target management of scholarship schemes for pre-matric and post-matric students from minority communities,to support their education at different levels — from school to technical and professional education. In the 2011 budget,the ministry,headed by Farukkhabad MP Salman Khursheed,received Rs 600 crore for the scheme.

Sources in the Union ministry said that at a recent meeting with the state secretaries,Khursheed had asked them to focus on these schemes and submit information for the OSMS. The states were also asked to submit an expected number of beneficiaries whom they plan to give scholarships in April,so that the funds are released by May. A senior official in the ministry said: “Our focus is on states like UP and Bengal,which amount to the highest number of beneficiaries for the scheme.”

The UP minority welfare department is preparing a list of the beneficiaries,complete with the details of their scholarship identification number and bank accounts in which these scholarships are submitted. “We have a list of expected beneficiaries which will be included in the Centre’s OSMS,” said Director of Minority Welfare,Shahabuddin.