A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Punjab University and the Philanthropic trust ‘Sarbat Da Bhala (SDB) Charitable Trust’ under which the trust would provide scholarship to 100 students of the university.
The MoU was signed by PU vice-chancellor Prof Arun Kumar Grover on behalf of the university and by S P S Oberoi, the trust’s managing trustee on behalf of the SDB Charitable Trust. According to Mr Oberoi this step was to embolden the hardworking and intelligent students to pursue higher education without facing any financial hardships.
According to the agreement the selected students in the non-professional courses would get full fee scholarships and those in the professional courses would get 75% of the fee from the trust.
This would be a five step procedure starting with the candidate sending an application that would be verified and recommended by the department chairperson and then endorsed by the dean of the faculty concerned. All the applications would then be discussed and finalized by a committee comprising of three faculty deans, dean of student welfare and members of the trust. The scholarship would be awarded for the entire degree course provided the candidate does not fail in the examination.
The Eligibility
The students who are economically weak, fatherless, affected by natural disaster, differently abled or are recommended by a managing trustee of Sarbat da Bhala (SDB) Charitable Trust are eligible to apply. The minimum eligibility for applying for the scholarship is a family income of less than Rs 5 Lakh, 50% and above marks in the qualifying examination and mandatory class attendance.