Dreaming about higher studies abroad?

PUNE, May 23: An excellent score in her postgraduate exam was not enough for Jyoti Dalvi to realise her dream of pursuing higher studies ...

PUNE, May 23: An excellent score in her postgraduate exam was not enough for Jyoti Dalvi to realise her dream of pursuing higher studies abroad. Daughter of a rickshaw driver, her family could barely make both ends meet. Things then took a happy turn for Jyoti. She was selected for the Lila Poonawalla Foundation scholarship in 1998 to fulfill her ambition. Today, the brilliant girl is making waves in University of Hull, UK and has discovered her first chemical crystal in doctoral research.

Similarly, for Supriya Kulkarni too, the financial support she got from scholarship helped her seek admission for post doctoral studies in paediatrics at a renowned hospital in Melbourne, Australia. With her outstanding performance, Supriya has now bagged the scholarship of the hospital and an extended sponsored stay of two years in the country.

These are just two of over hundred success stories that the Lila Poonawalla Foundation has penned in a short span of three years of existence.

The foundation, formed in 1996 with a corpus of Rs 38 lakh, has been awarding scholarships to needy and deserving girls from Pune. Over 100 students, with excellent academic qualifications, have been sent abroad and to Indian universities to pursue post graduation and doctoral studies.

This year also about 35 girls will receive scholarships in the first week of August at the hands of Dr Najma Heptullah, deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha.

Explaining the selection procedure Lila Poonawalla, managing director Tetra Pak and founder of the trust says: 8220;The girls are selected on the basis of their academic performance over the years, contribution to the society, family background, personal statement and personal interview.8221;

The maximum age-limit for receiving the scholarship is 30 years. The preliminary selection for the scholarship is made through computerised rating. All the details pertaining to the applicant is fed in a specially devised computer programme and the marks are given with reference to standard pattern. Personal interviews are conducted by a panel of professional trustees and their ratings are averaged for final selection.

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8220;The scholarships are without any repayment conditions and also carry no interest. There is no restriction on any faculty. Girls can pursue studies in computer science, engineering, medicine, law, architect, classical dance, music, marketing etc,8221; says Poonawalla.

On an average scholarships, collectively amounting to about Rs 7 lakh are given to the deserving girls. 8220;The application forms for the scholarships will be publicised through advertisements in the press in the next week and the scholarships will be awarded in the first week of August,8221; says Maya Thadani, member of board of trustees.

For Lila Poonawalla, who prefers to call the scholarships as fellowships, the actual work starts after awarding the scholarships. 8220;More than extending a helping hand to the girls to pursue higher studies, it is my ambition to create a large force of dynamic and dedicated girls who would become outstanding professionals in their respective fields,8221; she explains.

So after granting the scholarship, creating a sense of 8220;fellowship8221; is the next tasks the foundation takes up. Constant contactthrough letters, phone calls, e-mails and holding four-monthly get together are just few examples.8220;Whenever me and my husband Feroz are out on a visit to a city outside Pune be it India or abroad we make it a point to call on to our fellows or at least contact them through telephone,8221; says Poonawalla.