About 4.25 lakh students belonging to Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Denotified Communities (DNC) who are pursuing courses in government colleges or government-aided colleges and who have applied for government scholarships can hereafter access information on the status of their applications through the Internet.
The application forms submitted by the students can be forwarded by principals of the colleges through the Net. The District-level BC welfare officers will scrutinise them and accord approval. On obtaining information online, the colleges disburse the scholarship amounts to the students.
On Tuesday, the web-enabled scholarship scheme was launched at the Secretariat in the presence of Backward Classes Minister K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Information Technology Minister Poongothai, BC, MBC and DNC Welfare Secretary T.N.Ramanathan, and IT Secretary P.W. C. Davidar.
Mr Ramachandran told reporters that the government had earmarked Rs. 68.4 crore for giving scholarships to the students.
Dr. Poongothai, IT Minister, said similar facilities would be extended to services offered by the Adi-Dravidar and Tribal Welfare and Social Welfare departments in a couple of months.
Kumar Jayant, Commissioner of Backward Classes Welfare, said the web-enabled facility was implemented as part of the e-District programme with a State-wide application. The programme was being executed in five districts - Tiruvarur, Krishnagiri, Ariyalur, Permbalur and Coimbatore districts.
