New Delhi: Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, has launched two new fellowship schemes - Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship for Students from Minority Communities; and the Scheme for Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards - for the welfare of minority communities. The fellowship under National Fellowship would be on the pattern of UGC Fellowships awarded to research students pursuing regular and full time M Phil and PhD courses.
According to a press release, the aim of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship for Students from Minority Communities is to provide integrated five-year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified by the Central Government, to pursue higher studies such as M Phil and PhD. According to the statement of an UGC Official, the scheme will cover all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under Section 2(f) and Section 3 of the UGC Act and would be implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) through UGC, for students belonging to the minority communities.
The fellowship holders under this scheme will be known as MoMA scholars. As per sources, the total number of fellowships each year would be 756. In case of non-availability of adequate number of candidates, the number of fellowships not availed during a year would be carried forward to the next academic session. 30% of the fellowship shall be allocated to female students, while the remaining 70% would be for general category students. In case there are shortage of women candidates, the fellowship can be passed on to male students of the same minority community. The reservation for differently-abled students shall be made as per the UGC norms. UGC will notify the scheme by inserting suitable advertisement in the Press and other media.
