VKSSF scholarships for Konkani students to be awarded today Aug 19

VKSSF scholarships for Konkani students to be awarded today Aug 19

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 19, 2016 VKSSF, Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund , established by World Konkani Centre, Mangaluru, is set to award merit-cum-means scholarships worth Rs 3.5 crore to students from Konkani-speaking communities at a ceremony to be held at T V Ramana Pai convention centre in Kodialbail on August 19, Friday (Today) at 10 am.

A media release said that Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu will hand over the first scholarship of the year. Minister for Large and Medium Industries R V Deshpande will be the chief guest.  Chairman of Manipal Global Education and principal patron of the scholarship programme T V Mohandas Pai will deliver the keynote address. Entrepreneur P Dayananda Pai will preside over the function. The programme will play host to galaxy of eminent philanthropists including Grace Pinto, Managing Director, Ryan International Group of Institutions, M Jagannath Shenoy, Managing Partner, Mangalore Ganesh Beedies, Mysuru and they will award the scholarships.

Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund envisages grant of merit-cum-means scholarship for students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted by Mangaluru-based World Konkani Centre in 2010 as envisioned by Mohandas Pai, VKSSF has since then successfully raised and distributed over 11,585 scholarships to the tune of Rs 11.64 crore.

VKSSF presently has several scholarship programmes, flagship programme being the engineering and MBBS scholarship programme with a scholarship of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 per annum for every student beneficiary selected. VKSSF has awarded 2,721 engineering and MBBS scholarships since 2010. This year too VKSSF will support professional education quest of 635 engineering and 50 MBBS scholars, the press release said.

VKSSF has a study abroad scholarship for higher education abroad, with scholarship amount of Rs 1 lakh per year per student. Since 2010, VKSSF has awarded 17 scholarships under this programme and 24 scholarships will be awarded this year under this category. With a view to widen scope of the fund, VKSSF has initiated a new scheme in 2012 to empower Kudubi, Kharvi communities by awarding them with PUC and degree scholarships.

Programmes of Konkani centre lauded :  Singer Sewing Machines’ Associate vice president R K Kamath visited World Konkani Centre recently.  A media release said Kamath was impressed with the infrastructure set up at the centre, such as library, museum, hostel facility, training hall, hall of fame and others. He was also impressed with various pro-youth development initiatives of the centre, including ’Vishwa Konkani Stree Shakti Mission,’ women’s welfare wing to explore self help activities etc focussing on women entrepreneurs. Singer India has already donated sewing machines to start training programmes which would be helpful to train a large group of women in the days ahead.Centre President Basti Vaman Shenoy briefed him about the ongoing activities of the centre.