Taking the first decision after assuming office as the Prime Minister for a second time, PM Modi has made a major change in the ‘Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme’ under the National Defence Fund (NDF).
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The changes approved by the Prime Minister are increasing the amount of scholarship provided to boys and girls. The rate of scholarship has been increased from Rs 2000 per month to Rs 2500 per month for boys and from Rs 2250 per month to Rs 3000 per month for girls. The ambit of the scholarship has also been widened to include wards of State Police Officials who are/were martyred during terror/naxal attacks. The allocation of new scholarships for the wards of State Police officials will be Rs500 per year. The nodal Ministry in this regard will be the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The NDF was which set up back in 1962 to take charge of the voluntary donations received for the promotion of the national defence effort and to decide their utilisation, is being used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces, Para-Military forces, and Railway Protection Force, and their dependents. It is administered by an Executive Committee consisting of the Prime Minister as the Chairman and the Defence and the Home Ministers as the members of the committee.
The Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme under the NDF is provided to encourage technical and post-graduate education for the widows and wards of the deceased/ex-service personnel of the Armed forces, the Para-Military forces, and the Railway Protection Force. These scholarships are available for education at technical institutions e.g. medical, dental. veterinary, engineering, MBA, MCA and other equivalent technical professions.
Under the PMSS, every year new scholarships are given for 5500 wards of armed forces controlled by Ministry of Defence, for 2000 wards of paramilitary forces controlled by Ministry of Home Affairs and for 150 wards of forces controlled by Ministry of Railways.
The National Defence Fund accepts online voluntary contributions through the website ndf.gov.in.