Sanction for foreign scholarship to be made fast-track for OBC students by Maharashtra: Boost to higher education
With a landmark step towards empowering students from the backward class, the Maharashtra state government has sanctioned foreign scholarships for 75 deserving students of the Other Backward Classes to pursue higher studies abroad. The government had agreed to this decision, which was going to be in effect from the academic year 2024-25, on September 26, 2024. It is primarily due to the intervention of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had raised this issue after several OBC organizations brought it to his notice.
Action After Intervention by OBC Organizations
Scholarships were cleared after several OBC organisations met Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who termed this reeking delay and hurdle in the way of deserving students seeking foreign scholarships. Within three days, the deputy CM took the matter to a high-level meeting and summoned it over the issue, and the government finally decided to grant the scholarships to the selected 75 students.
It is said that OBC organizations, who have been demanding such measures long for the students from backward classes to get timely assistance, welcomed the swift action. Everybody in all walks of society has shown approval to the leadership presented by Fadnavis and the sensitivity the state government has shown. It has been hailed as a grand step for improving education and society.
The Foreign Scholarship Scheme for OBC, VJNT, and SBC Students
A foreign scholarship scheme was launched in 2019-20 to allow merit-worthy students of the communities of OBC, VJNT (Vimukta Jatis and Nomadic Tribes), and SBC (Special Backward Classes). It is a financial aid program for students of these communities which would help them study abroad in foreign universities and exercise their potential by competing on a global platform.
In this scheme, the state government offers 75 scholarships for the academic year 2024-25. The scholarship offered places the student in the academic folds of diverse fields of studies in the country, where one may attend the country’s outstanding higher institutions in one of the top foreign countries. Exposure at international levels helps imbue the qualifications and knowledge with which to meaningfully contribute to the development of one’s communities and the nation at large.
Application Procedure and Eligible Student’s Selection
It began way back in this year when the Directorate of OBC Welfare issued an invitation to application from eligible students. The whole process made sure that it was fair and non-discriminatory by setting up a committee under the chairmanship of Director, Directorate. This committee sifted through all the applications, rectified errors as well as ensured that applicants had fulfilled all the eligibility criteria.
A final list of eligible candidates was submitted to the government through a final analysis of the academic merit and qualifications of applicants on 10 September 2024. Further scrutiny was done by another high-level committee formed with the Principal Secretary of the OBC Welfare Department which met . On strict scrutiny 75 students were shortlisted for scholarships.
Gateway to World Reputed Universities
All the selected students come from diversified backgrounds in academics and streams, cutting across all these representative fields. Such exposure to them will afford important learning experiences and opportunities towards cutting-edge research works developing critical skills for professional careers and enhancing future prospects.
The OBC, VJNT, and SBC announced affirmative action. It is widely seen as a step forward in ensuring equal access to education by all sections of society, especially by the OBC, VJNT, and SBC.
Commitment to National Service
Another of the most critical expectations from the scholarship program has been that the students, when they finish their education abroad, would return to India and use their skills and knowledge to contribute towards building the nation. In this regard, as part of the scholarship agreement, a signed undertaking binds students to national service after completion of their studies. This further ensures that all knowledge and experience acquired abroad is transferred to improve India and uplift the student’s communities.
This conveys the message through the initiative that the government of the state plans to have better-educated generations who will not only excel well at both personal and professional levels but also seek to impact society. For this, the long-term investment made by the government in facilitating world-class education access among the people of Maharashtra, primarily its marginalized groups, is in the development of their human capital.
Response from OBC Organizations Goes Positive
Almost all organizations of OBC have welcomed the idea of fast-tracking scholarship approvals through this government. For long, these groups have been asking for student support from the backward classes to study abroad and continue their higher education. So the urgent and positive response of the government in this regard can be considered as a victory for such advocacies and also prove that the state is committed to social justice and education empowerment.
OBC bodies thanked Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, whose urgent measures on the matter ensured that such students who need to be integrated into college classes get proper guidance. In this way, the government has not only responded in time and served decisive fulfillment but also facilitated important examples of advancing student outcomes among disadvantaged students.
Conclusion
That landmark step taken by the Maharashtra government to speed up foreign scholarships for 75 OBC students will prove it to be long time help to them for navigating towards a specific academic as well as professional direction. Major steps have been undertaken by the government under the leadership of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis for allowing world-class education to reach out to the students coming from marginalised communities.
Providing scholarship grants to deserving students and instilling a sense of responsibility in discharging their national service will, in effect, provide an avenue for upward social and educational mobility by the state government. Such is not only an empowering intervention on behalf of the individual student but also a model in learning how targeted government intervention can lead toward equal opportunity for all. One of the closest reflections of the commitment by the state towards the cause of making education inclusive for all and bettering its citizens is the foreign scholarship scheme.
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