India provides scholarship to 200 Nepalese students
India has provided scholarships to 200 Nepalese students on merit basis under a scheme to boost human resource development in Nepal.

Nepal's education minister Chitralekha Yadav and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae jointly handed over certificate of merits along with the scholarship amount to the 12th batch of the Golden Jubilee Scholarship recipients at a function organised here yesterday.

The Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme was launched by the Indian government in 2002 to commemorate the 50th year of Economic Cooperation between India and Nepal, according to an Indian embassy statement.

In the beginning, 50 Nepalese students undertaking different undergraduate courses in Nepal were awarded the scholarship.

In 2007, the number of scholarships was increased to 100. Since 2012, the number of scholarships has been doubled to 200.

The monthly stipend has also been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 for MBBS and BE courses. The stipend has been increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 for other courses, including BSc, BBS and BPH.

The students were selected for the scholarship on merit basis while providing due weightage to the underprivileged and physically challenged students.

Over the years, India-Nepal cooperation has made major contributions towards human resource development in Nepal, the statement said.

India is extending around 3,000 scholarships to Nepalese citizens through the embassy in Nepal.

The scholarships are being provided for a wide spectrum of courses inclusive of medical, agriculture, sciences, law, arts, veterinary sciences, pharmacology, computer sciences, etc. at different levels like under graduate and post graduate.