After a delay of four months, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Institute of Research, Training and Human Development (SARATHI) has finally selected Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad Sarathi for Foreign Higher Education Scholarship, a Jehendar from the Maratha, Kunbi community of Maharashtra. The list of children has been published.
After the application process ended in July, the list of eligible candidates for the study abroad scholarship was expected to be out in September. Earlier this month, The Indian Express Reported delay in announcing list of eligible candidates for scholarship. The delay has caused many to change their plans or postpone their higher education studies.
Although it is out of the list, it is being criticized for keeping about 30 seats vacant out of the total 75 seats under the scheme. Only 44 students have been selected out of 200 applications, indicating that the scheme is not being used to its maximum capacity, said Kuldeep Ambekar, a student activist associated with Students Helping Hand, which has written to the government to speed up the process.
However, an official of Sarathi said that this is only the first round of selection. “Overseas universities have two different admission seasons in a year. And this quota of 75 seats is for the entire year. We are hopeful that in the next round of selection, more names will come out,” the official added.
‘Unused seats indicate ignorance’
But last year also only 50 students were selected, Ambekar said. “Candidates from underprivileged backgrounds and their parents are very optimistic about the scheme to be able to fulfill their dream of studying abroad. The unused seats indicate ignorance about the scheme among eligible candidates,” he said.
Sayajirao Gaekwad Sarathi Scholarship is awarded to meritorious students from Maratha and Kunbi communities of Maharashtra to pursue higher education including Masters and PhD programs from reputed foreign universities through Sarathi, a non-profit government organization. It received approval from the state government in July 2023.
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