The State government has constituted a forest sesquicentennial scholarship fund for awarding prizes to the children of forest personnel and ministerial staff of forest department securing the first three ranks in school finals in each district and for financial assistance in higher education.
According to an order by Environment and Forests Secretary V. Irai Anbu, the government would sanction Rs.25 lakh as its contribution for the fund.
Grant
An amount of Rs.20,000 or the annual fee paid for higher education, whichever was less, would be granted as scholarship each year (maximum four years) for deserving 20 wards of forest personnel up to the rank of forest ranger in executive cadre and the rank of superintendent in ministerial cadre.
Cash prizes
Likewise, children of forest personnel securing the first three ranks in 10{+t}{+h} standard and Plus 2 in each district would be awarded a cash prize ranging from Rs.7,500 to Rs.2,500.
Motivation
As forest officials at the lower level work in deep forests in subhuman conditions and at times they would have to live away from the family, the government has constituted the fund to motivate them to work hard and keep their morale high, the order said.
