Jalandhar, Nov 8 (IANS): Students from poor background but scoring 80 percent and more marks in state-level board examinations will now get a scholarship of Rs.30,000 annually.

The scheme, named after Nobel laureate Hargobind Khorana, was launched by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here Friday.

"This scheme is the first of its kind in the country ensuring scholarships to all poor meritorious students in government schools across the state. The foundation has been laid for bridging the gap of education between affluent and poor students," Badal said after launching the scheme and distributing scholarships to beneficiary students.

Addressing the gathering at a function, Badal said the initiative would enable poor, but meritorious students to study without any economic hardship. He said the effort was to ensure that students of poor and weaker sections of the society get quality education so as to compete with their convent-educated peers.

He said six special schools would soon be opened across the state, in which the meritorious students would be provided free boarding and lodging facilities along with quality education facility by the state government.

The Punjab government recently distributed bicycles to over 1.72 lakh girl students from class ninth to 12th to encourage them to study.