Mangalore: Pradeep G. Pai, Secretary of ‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund (VKSSF)’, speaking at the press meet held at Deepa Comforts on August 18, Wednesday said that World Konkani Centre, Mangalore has announced to distribute scholarships worth Rs. 40.5 lakhs to 135 Engineering and MBBS aspirants at a function to be held on Friday, the 20th August 2010 at 11:00 A.M. at Sri T.V. Raman Pai Convention Centre, Kodialbail, Mangalore.

He also said that, VKSSF, has been specially constituted by World Konkani Centre for promoting higher education for economically backward sections of the Konkani speaking community irrespective of caste or religion.
The scholarships of the present year will be distributed by Shri Ramadas Kamath U, Senior Vice President, Infosys Technologies Ltd., Bangalore, who is also the Chairman of the Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund, he informed.
The ‘Konkani Manyata Diwas’ is celebrated every year on 20th August to commemorate the inclusion of Konkani Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India, Pai added.
Vishwa Konkani Sardar Shri Basti Vaman Shenoy, President and Founder, World Konani Centre will proclaim the World Konkani Vision Statement at this function, Dr. P. Dayanand Pai, Chairman of Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation will presided over the function..
Rt. Rev. Msgr. Denis Prabhu, Vicar General, Mangalore Diocese and Shri M. Annappa Pai, Hon. Secretary, Canara High School Association, Mangalore will be the Guests of Honour. Special felicitation will be given to Smt. Chaya Burdekar, IAS, who is the first person to pass UPSC exams with Konkani as a subject.
In the present year around 350 applications were received and 135 eligible students falling within 25,000 CET ranking have been short listed for award of scholarship at the above function.