Mangaluru : The scholarship given from the Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund (VKSSF) to Konkani-speaking students pursuing MBBS and B.E. courses is proposed to be increased by about 25% in light of increase in the fees, said VKSSF chairman and Infosys Executive Vice-President Ramadas Kamath U. on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Kamath said VKSSF has proposed to increase the scholarship amount for MBBS from ₹40,000 to ₹75,000 and for B.E. course from ₹30,000 to ₹50,000 per year. “We have proposed increase in the scholarship amount. It has to be approved by the managing committee,” he said.

Mr. Kamath said the VKSSF has been giving scholarship since the last nine years to those pursuing MBBS, B.E. and Masters. It was also giving scholarship for pursuing higher studies in foreign countries. Scholarship was also being given to students from Kudabi and Karavi community studying in Class 8,9 and 10. So far the VKSSF has distributed ₹21.5 crore to 19,000 students, he said.

This year, Mr. Kamath said the VKSSF has so far given scholarship of ₹1.86 crore to 622 students pursuing BE and to ₹20 lakhs to 49 students pursing MBBS. Around ₹5 lakh was being as scholarship to Konkani speaking students from Kerala.

Mr. Kamath said since there was gradual increase in the number of students pursing higher studies in the institutes within the county the VKSSF was considering giving scholarship to such students too. The VKSSF, he said, will remove the term “means-cum-merit” scholarship and rename it as “merit” scholarship, which will enable all deserving students apply for scholarship.

Earlier, speaking at the function to symbolically hand over scholarships, patron trustee of Vishwa Konkani Centre T.V. Mohandas Pai said youngsters, who are the future of the country, should develop ability to look at issues and work out solutions. Youngsters should be innovative and become global citizens, he said.

Chairman of Manipal Global Education T V Mohandas Pai, president World Konkani Kendra Basti Vaman Shenoy, chairman VKSSF Ramadas Kamath, secretary Vishwa Konkani student scholarships fund Pradeep G Pai, president alumni association Nirosh Kumari, President WKC Venkatesh N Baliga and others were present.