PM’s scholarship: 6,600 students register, counselling begins

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 26

The counselling of students for admission in various colleges outside the state under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) began at designated centres in Srinagar and Jammu today.

An official statement said the counselling was being held at Amar Singh College in Srinagar while it was also being held at Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar in Jammu.

Palak Gupta was the first student who got admission under the scheme in the prestigious Lady Shriram College, New Delhi. Mohammad Suhaib of the Pulwama district got admission in BA (Hons) at St Stephen’s College, New Delhi.

Anmol Sharma of Jammu secured admission in Hindu College, Harpreet Kour in Delhi College of Engineering and Tahil Kundal in Delhi College of Engineering. Similarly, a girl from the Baramulla district secured admission in the Delhi College of Engineering while another student from the same district got admission in the Hans Raj College of Delhi University in bio-sciences.

Minister for Education Naeem Akhter visited the counselling centre at Amar Singh College. He said 6,600 students had registered for PMSSS across the state and their counselling will continue till August 3. He said for the current financial year Rs 75-crore scholarships were available to J&K.

The minister said while the tuition fee of the students admitted under PMSSS would be directly transferred by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to the college concerned, the maintenance charges, including hostel fee, books and stationary and other things, would be transferred into the account of the student concerned under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The minister said up to Rs 30,000 per annum would be available as scholarship under PMSSS for general courses, up to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum would be available for engineering courses and up to Rs 3 lakh per annum for medical/dental courses.

He said in view of the prevailing law and order situation, the government had made adequate board and lodging arrangements for the students and their guardians at the hostels in Amar Singh College, SP College and Women’s College, MA Road, Srinagar. He said any student, who wanted to avail the board and lodging facility could approach the nodal officer at Amar Singh College, Srinagar. The minister also said if a student missed counselling on the assigned date due to some unavoidable reason, he/she could appear on the next date.