Dalit students take flight of hope, thanks to govt largesse

Having lost both her parents two years ago, Akshata Nagaraj had more or less given up hopes of pursuing her higher studies, given the financial difficulties.

On Saturday, after receiving a certificate from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah which states that she has been sanctioned 100% financial assistance, a beaming Akshata shared that she could now fulfil her father’s dream.

Akshata was one among the 60 students who have been selected under the SC/ST Foreign Scholarship programme this year.
The students received certificates of confirmation from Siddaramaiah, on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary celebrations of Dr B R Ambedkar.
Akshata will fly to New Zealand shortly, where she will be pursuing a one-year course in Construction Management in Auckland University of Technology. The Social Welfare department will bear her entire course fee (Rs 25 lakh), including her flight charges, accommodation and food.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Akshata, who is from Hubballi, said that she was at crossroads till she learnt about the scholarship programme.

Having completed her BE in civil engineering from KLE Institute of Technology, she was keen on pursuing her masters.

“But I almost gave up on my dream when I realised that I could not afford the course fee. If I had known about this programme last year, I wouldn’t have missed a year. However, this programme has given a new direction to my life,” she said.

Rajini Nagaraj, 22, too felt that she would have to forsake her dreams of studying abroad.

After completing a course in Biotechnology from SJCE in Mysuru, this youngster was denied a loan amount of Rs 45 lakh, dashing her hopes of taking up masters in medical biotechnology.

“As my parents have no property, we couldn’t pledge anything as collateral. As a result, the bank refused the loan. But now, I am grateful to the government that I can actually pursue this course,” she added. She will be starting her course this August at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. Siddaramaiah said the government was giving financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per student.
DH News Service