Mangalore: World Konkani Centre to award scholarships worth Rs 3 crore


Media Release

Mangalore, Aug 18: Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund, established by World Konkani Centre, Mangalore will award merit-cum-means scholarships worth Rs 3 crore to students from Konkani communities in an award ceremony to be held on Monday August 20 at 11 am at TV Raman Pai Convention Centre, Kodialbail. This day is also commemorated for inclusion of Konkani Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.

The principal patron of the scholarship programme, T V Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education, will deliver the keynote address. The function will be presided by Dr P Dayananda Pai, chairman, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation. Ivan D’Souza, MLC, executive director of Anand Rathi, Sandeep Shenoy, S M Syed Khaleelur Rahaman, president, Anjuman Group of Institutions, Bhatkal, M Padmanabha Pai, managing trustee, Shree Venkataramana Temple, Mangalore, and Melreeda Rodrigues, president, ICYM central council, Mangalore diocese will grace the function as guests of honour.

Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund: ‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ envisages grant of merit-cum-means scholarship for students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted by the Mangalore-based World Konkani Centre in the year 2010 as envisioned by the eminent thinker and corporate leader T V Mohandas Pai, the VKSSF has since then successfully raised and distributed over 4500 scholarships to the tune of Rs 5 crores.

Eminent Konkani philanthropists like Mohandas Pai, Dr Ranjan Pai, Dr P Dayanand Pai, Ramadas Kamath U, K V Kamath, M Jagannath Shenoi, Ronald Colaco, Grace Pinto, A Annappa S Kamath, Rohan Monteiro, Achut Pai, Pradeep Pai, Jagadish Kini, Sandeep Shenoy, Aravind Rao, B R Bhat and many more have come forward in support of this fund.

Programmes: VKSSF presently has several scholarship programmes. The flagship programme being the engineering and MBBS scholarship programme with a scholarship amount of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 per year per student respectively. VKSSF has awarded 1,426 engineering and 67 MBBS scholarships since 2010. This year too VKSSF will support the professional education quest of 579 engineering and 36 MBBS scholars. Secondly, VKSSF also has a study abroad scholariship for higher education abroad, with scholarship amount of Rs 1 lac per year per student. VKSSF has since 2010 awarded 10 scholarships under this programme and this year too will award 4 scholarships under this category.

In view of widening the scope of the scholarship fund, VKSSF initiated a new scheme in 2012 to empower communities like Kudubi, Kharvi etc. Under this scheme VKSSF awards PUC and degree scholarships with a scholarship amount of Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively. This initiative is also supported by government of Karnataka. VKSSF also has a special programme for degree students of Konkani speaking communities from Kerala state. Apart from this, VKSSF has also supported scholarship programmes like Vidya Poshak Udupi and Kharvi Vidya Nidhi, Kundapur.

Kshamata: Kshamata is a programme under VKSSF which is a development model for all scholarship participants to accomplish with an end result of personal growth, leadership development, and a greater appreciation for the Konkani society in particular and global society in general.

VKSSF Alumni Association (VAA): An alumni association of the students who have been scholars of the VKSSF for the full term of respective education courses came in to existence with 142 scholars from the first batch of VKSSF scholarship programme for engineering passing out from their course. An executive committee has been elected by the members with Lenita Jenifer Menezes as the president of the association.

Governance of the Fund: As the Fund is functioning 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.

‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ is administered by a governing council comprising eminent personalities. U Ramdas Kamath, executive vice-president, Infosys, Bangalore is the chairman of the Fund and Pradeep G Pai, managing director of Hangyo Ice Creams Pvt Ltd, is the secretary. The council is also guided by Basti Vaman Shenoy, the founder and president of World Konkani Centre, Venkatesh N Baliga, secretary and board of trustees of Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation.

  

Top Stories

Comment on this article

  • Nandini, Kundapura

    Wed, May 29 2024

    I need a scholarship for my higher education in computer science engineering

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • joe Gonsalves, Mangalore

    Tue, Aug 19 2014

    The best gift one can give another is THE GIFT OF EDUCATION. This is exactly what World Konkani Center is doing.

    The beneficiaries will for ever remember the donors and sing their glory.

    I join several others in saying kudos to W.K.C. May every member of the wonderful body be blessed.

    Joe Gonsalves

    DisAgree Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Henry J. Pinto, Karkala/Bangalore/USA

    Tue, Aug 19 2014

    Praise worthy service. Let deserving Konkani children get the benefit of this fund. I wish all the motivators, donors & beneficiaries all the best, May God bless this tribe. May this tribe be ever growing.

    DisAgree Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • Vincent Rodrigues, katapadi/Bangalore

    Mon, Aug 18 2014

    Really a great incentive to poor Konkani speaking students to persue ther studies.Hope the Centre will help more deserving students to complete their studies.Congratulation and all the best to the Centre.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [12] Reply Report Abuse

  • Gerald O F Fernandes, Mangalore/Ireland

    Mon, Aug 18 2014

    Marvelous programme by WKC. Let the bright students of poor and middle class communities may benefit by this programme. May the good lord bless upon them to the organisers/groups/well wishers of this marvelous programme.Long live WKC. Jai Hind!

    DisAgree [2] Agree [16] Reply Report Abuse


Leave a Comment

Title: Mangalore: World Konkani Centre to award scholarships worth Rs 3 crore



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.