Govt enhances scholarship given under National Defence Fund

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 31

Taking his first decision after assuming office for the second term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved of major changes in the ‘Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme’ under the National Defence Fund, among them enhancing the rates of financial assistance to children of martyred personnel of armed forces and central and states police organisations.

In an official statement, the government said that the Prime Minister approved enhancement in the rates of scholarship given to eligible children “from Rs. 2000 per month to Rs. 2,500 per month for boys and from Rs. 2,250 per month to Rs. 3,000 per month for girls”.

The statement said that the ambit of the financial assistance “is extended to the wards of State Police officials who are/were martyred during terror/naxal attacks and the quota of new scholarships for wards of state police officials will be 500 in a year. The Ministry of Home Affairs will be the nodal Ministry in this regard”.

The central government also said that the decision is in line “with the Prime Minister’s vision for India’s safety, security and the well-being of those who protect the nation”.

The National Defence Fund (NDF) was set up in 1962 and currently it is being used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces, Para Military forces and Railway Protection Force and their dependents. The fund is administered by an executive committee with the Prime Minister as the chairperson and the Defence, Finance and Home Ministers as members.

Under the scheme, the scholarship amount is used for encouraging technical and post-graduate education for widows and children of martyred personnel. 

Under the scheme, every year new scholarships are given for 5,500 wards of armed forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, for 2,000 wards of paramilitary forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs and for 150 wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways. Now 500 wards of state police personnel have been added to it.