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MANGALORE: World Konkani Centre, Mangalore, will award the merit-cum means scholarships worth Rs 2.5 crore to students from Konkani-speaking communities at an award ceremony to be held here on September Tuesday. The scholarship is being disbursed through Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund (VKSSF), established by the centre. R V Deshpande, minister for higher education and tourism will inaugurate the scholarship distribution function.

The fund envisages grant of merit-cum-means scholarship for students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted by the centre in 2010 as envisioned by corporate leader TV Mohandas Pai, the fund has since then successfully raised and distributed over 2000 scholarships to the tune of Rs 3.50 crores. VKSSF, at present, has several scholarship programmes like engineering and MBBS scholarship programme.
 
While engineering students get a scholarship amount of Rs 30,000, MBBS students get Rs 40,000 per year. VKSSF has awarded 860 engineering and 43 MBBS scholarships since 2010. This year too VKSSF will support the professional education quest of 596 engineering and 28 MBBS scholars. VKSSF also has study abroad scholarship for higher education abroad, with scholarship amount of Rs 1 lakh per year per student.
 
VKSSF has since 2010 has awarded four scholarships under this programme and this year too will award five scholarships under this category. With a view to widen the scope of scholarship fund, VKSSF has initiated a new scheme in 2012 to empower Konkani speaking communities like Kudubi and Kharvis. Under this scheme, VKSSF awarded 749 PUC and degree scholarship with the scholarship amount of Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively.
 
Dr Ranjan Pai, CEO Manipal Education and Medical Group, will hand over the scholarships. Principal patron of the scholarship programme TV Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education, will deliver keynote address. P Dayananda Pai, chairman, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation, will preside over the function. John Richard Lobo, Mangalore City South MLA, will grace the function as guest of honour.