KARACHI, Nov 6: Sindh government has earmarked a sum of Rs10 million for distribution among the students, in the form of merit-cum-poverty scholarships, who wish to continue their higher education.

However, all those students whose parents’ income is more than Rs100,000 would not be considered for provision of the scholarships, an official of the provincial education department said on Wednesday.

Students, who have passed their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC-II) annual examinations in the year 2002 from any intermediate board of Sindh would be eligible for the scholarships.

The official said that about 400 scholarships would be equally divided among students having domicile of Sindh and passed their intermediate exams from the boards of intermediate education Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana.

Some 100 scholarships would be awarded to students of each educational board by dividing 25 scholarships each among the students of pre-engineering and pre-medical groups, whereas 50 scholarships would be awarded to the Commerce, Home Economics, Humanitarian and Science general groups students of each educational board.

Students securing a minimum of 60 per cent or above marks in intermediate exams and having cleared the HSC exams in first attempt can apply for the scheme and the successful candidate would be entitled to get Rs25,000.

“According to the formula devised by the department, merit weightage will be 80 per cent, while poverty weightage will be 20 per cent,” the official said, adding that candidates applying for the scholarships with annual income of parents below Rs100,000 would get 4 marks, below 80,000 would get 6 marks, below 50,000 8 marks and candidates with their parents’ annual income below 30,000 would get 10 marks as poverty weightage.

Moreover, candidates having more than three sisters or brothers studying at any public sector institution would also get 5 marks, while those who studied at any educational institution of rural or slum areas of Karachi or all rural areas except the district headquarters would also get an additional 5 marks.

The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of information confirmed from the quarters concerned, he said, adding that the Sindh Bureau of Curriculum and Extension Wing, Jamshoro, will consolidate the information at the provincial level.

An advisory board will take the final decision, to be approved by the education department regarding provision of the scholarships.—PPI