List of SC students selected for foreign scholarships expected to be out today

Notably, less than a fortnight is left for the classes to begin for many of the selected students.

The Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship for postgraduate and PhD courses granted to 75 students every year. (Representtional/File)

Listen to this article

00:00

1x 1.5x 1.8x

After a wait of over two months, mere days before classes begin in foreign universities, students who had applied for the state government’s scholarships to study abroad will get respite. According to latest information provided by the Commissioner of the Social Welfare department, the list of selected students that had been pending in the Maharashtra ministry of Social Justice and Special Assistance was approved on Monday and can be expected to be made public on Wednesday.

Notably, less than a fortnight is left for the classes to begin for many of the selected students.

The proposal that we had sent to the Ministry of Social Justice and Special Assistance has been passed and we will release a Government Resolution now,” Om Prakash Bakoria, Commissioner of Social Welfare department told The Indian Express.

Story continues below this ad

Earlier in the day, students expressed anger and anxiety as their dreams of studying abroad hung in balance as many of their classes are to begin this month. The process of application this year concluded on June 30.

“My college orientation is on September 18 and classes will begin on September 25. So, I should be there before that,” said Pune-based Komal Ranpise, who has received an unconditional offer letter from the University College London.

“I can apply for a visa only when the scholarship is announced and without a visa, I cannot book neither a flight ticket nor an accommodation over there,” Ranpise said.

The Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship for postgraduate and PhD courses granted to 75 students every year. It includes flight tickets, visas, tuition fees and a monthly stipend.

Story continues below this ad

This delay further compounded problems as the living costs are initially borne by the students themselves and the scholarship money often takes several months to arrive.

“My family set aside some funds so I can cover my costs in the meanwhile but because of the delay, flight costs will become higher. I will have to apply for a priority visa and most of the cheaper accommodations close to the university will be sold out. So, I will have to pick something costlier and farther,” said Ranpise, who has been selected for a Masters in Nanotechnology and Regenerative Medicine in the United Kingdom.

Another student, Kuldeep Ambekar, who has been selected for a course in International Development at the University of Sheffield, has classes starting from September 25. He said, “The visa process usually takes at least a month and we are worried how we will complete it if the list itself is so late.”

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories