India confers Mahatma Gandhi Schols for top 150 students countrywide

The prestigious Mahatma Gandhi Scholarships for 2014-15 were awarded to 150 high school students from all 25 districts across Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and High Commissioner of India Y. K. Sinha at a special ceremony at the auditorium of the Ministry of Sports on Wednesday.

The Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship, a merit-cum-means based scholarship instituted in 2006-07 for Sri Lankan students, is awarded annually by the High Commission of India in cooperation with the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka. Recipients receive cash assistance during their two years of Advanced Level studies. The High Commission of India also announced an increase in the scholarship amount by 25% from 2015-16. Accordingly, this year’s awardees will receive Rs. 24,000 each during their first year of Advanced Level, and Rs. 30,000 during their second year.

The 150 students (six each from 25 districts) were selected in May 2015 by a joint selection committee comprising officials from the High Commission of India and the Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka, based on performance of the student in the Ordinary Level examinations and in an interview.

The students selected for the Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship will also be eligible to apply for various undergraduate scholarships and self-financed schemes awarded by the government of India. Under these schemes, students can pursue undergraduate courses in various reputed institutes and universities in India. Most of the students who received this scholarship in the past have gone on to excel in their chosen fields of study at the undergraduate and higher levels.