‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ is instituted on the basis of an inspiring suggestion provided by Shri T. V. Mohandas Pai, Director, Infosys Technologies, Bangalore and a patron trustee of World Konkani Centre.
During his visit to the World Konkani Centre, Shri Pai had expressed deep concern that many meritorious and promising Konkani students were forced to lose the opportunity to pursue higher education due to economic constraints. As a solution, he had suggested that a special scholarship should be instituted to specifically address this issue and had also generously volunteered to make a personal contribution to the effort.
“No Konkani child should be deprived of education because of lack of means. A sizeable scholarship fund will not only enable deprived students to gain higher education, but also the society in general will have a lot to gain from such qualified individuals,” he had said.
Responding to his fervent appeal, World Konkani Centre came forward with the initiative to institute the Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund.
Aims & Objectives
‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ envisages grant of educational scholarship to economically backward students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. The scholarship is available for students aspiring for higher education in the field of medicine and engineering.
The scholarship will go a long way in ensuring a better future for the beneficiaries and their families. Students belonging to needy segment of society are often first generation learners or come from single parent families. Giving them the opportunity to pursue higher studies will provide the breakthrough required for liberation from economic deprivation. Further, the presence of an educated, well employed and empowered individual in the family has the potential to radically transform the family’s future, with the benefits percolating to all the family members of the present and future generations.
Furthermore, as the beneficiaries will sponsor two students each after completion of education and securing employment, the ripple effects of this initiative will reach a much larger and continuously expanding population canvas.
Fundraising Campaign
After the Fund was instituted, World Konkani Centre undertook a major campaign to motivate prospective donors to contribute financially to the fund. We are happy to say that within a short period of less than two months, we have been able to mobilize Rs. 50 lakhs from ten individual benefactors, namely:
- Shri T. V. Mohandas Pai, Bangalore
- Dr. P. Dayanand Pai, Bangalore
- Shri U. Ramadas Kamath, Bangalore
- Shri K. V. Kamath, Mumbai
- Shri Jagannath Shenoi, Mysore
- Dr. T. Ranjan Pai, Manipal
- Shri Ronald Colaco, Bangalore
- Madam Grace Pinto, New Delhi
- Shri A. Annappa S. Kamath, Bangalore
- Shri Rohan Monteiro, Mangalore
- Shri Pradeep G. Pai, Mangalore
World Konkani Centre is grateful to the above benefactors for providing the much needed initial boost to the concept and it is hoped that their generosity will motivate more donors to come forward with their support in the future.
Governance of the Fund
‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ is administered by a Governing Council comprising eminent personalities. Sri U. Ramadas Kamath, Senior Vice President, Infosys Technologies Ltd., Bangalore is the President of the Fund and Sri Pradeep G. Pai, Managing Director of Hangyo Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd., is the secretary.
As the Fund will function on the basis of ‘Stream’ concept, the entire amount generated every year will be distributed to the beneficiaries and no separate corpus will be maintained. Contributions to the Fund will be eligible for Tax Exemption under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act.
Eligibility Criteria
Allocation of scholarship under Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund is on the basis of following criteria:
- Student’s Family Income should be below Rs 2.5 lakhs per annum.
- The Candidate should be eligible for merit seat, scoring distinction and above.
- An eminent local professional like Doctor or Chartered Accountant should attest for the family and the student.
- Student should be willing to sponsor 2 students after completion of studies and after securing employment.
ganesh
gurubaliga
