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MANGALORE: Mangalore University has made good a promise of promoting the study of basic sciences. Backing an announcement made at the 125th birth anniversary of mathematics wizard Srinivas Ramanujam in December last year, the university in its annual budget presented on March 16 has set aside Rs 20 lakh as scholarship for students who take up study of basic or pure sciences - physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology at the undergraduate level.

Four hundred student toppers in basic sciences and mathematics courses at the undergraduate-level will receive an annual scholarship of Rs 5,000 in the three years of the course. With the next academic season at least three months away, the university has all the time at its disposal to decide on the exact modalities of how this scholarship has to be rolled out, including norms for selection of students, and the educational institutions to be covered.

Incidentally, inaugurating the 125th birth anniversary celebration of Srinivas Ramanujam in the city, vice-chancellor TC Shivashankara Murthy had announced that the university would give scholarships to 100 students. Later that day, chairing the third general meeting of the academic council, VC increased this limit to 400 students. He had also directed the finance officer PM Pakirappa to include the scholarship amount in the budgetary estimates.

Shivashankara Murthy told TOI that the university is also not averse to continuing this scholarship if students go on to pursue their post-graduation and PhDs in pure sciences. "The quantum of scholarship for the PG and PhD level can be worked out," he said, adding a committee has been set up to work out the modalities on how this scholarship scheme will be rolled out - at the undergraduate level - to start with from academic year 2013-14.

If this (scholarship) succeeds in bringing back students to study of basic sciences from UG level onwards, it will be an investment worth it," VC said recalling India’s prowess in basic sciences in the earlier part of the 20th century. The scholarship amount can help students in so many ways, VC said, adding that he personally does not want to discriminate between students of affiliated or autonomous colleges. "The committee will take a view," he said.