PM Modi approves the hike in National Defence Fund scholarship assistance

Within hours of assuming office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out a major change in the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund.

Apart from hiking the scholarship amount, now the ambit of the Scholarship Scheme is extended to the wards of State Police officials who are or were martyred during terror or Naxal attacks.

The quota of new scholarships for children of state police officials will be 500 in a year. The rates of scholarship have also been increased from Rs. 2000 per month to Rs. 2500 per month for boys and from Rs. 2250 per month to Rs. 3000 per month for girls.

Under the scheme, every year new scholarships are given for 5500 wards of armed forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, for 2000 wards of paramilitary forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs and for 150 wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways.

Under National Defence Fund, the major scheme – Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme is being implemented to encourage technical and post-graduate education for the widows and wards of the deceased/ex-service personnel of Armed Forces and Para Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.