Bazm-E-Niswan, an all women’s charitable trust distributed Rs. 1 crore 51 lakhs in scholarships to 4146 female students from the economically weaker section of the community on Sunday. While 2,166 beneficiaries are PU students, 1,796 are pursuing undergraduate courses. As many as 59 are diploma students and 125 are post-graduate students.
The organisation has been distributing scholarships since its inception in 1971 and has so far given financial aid to over 67000 students to complete their higher education.
The purpose behind the yearly scholarships is to encourage Muslim girls from deprived sections to pursue higher studies, Mrs Husna Ziaullah Sheriff, president, Bazm-E-Niswan said.
These girls are now successfully qualified as teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, government officers, businesswomen, engineers, journalists, trainers, nurses, paramedics and in many other professional courses, she said.
Students applied for the scholarship online through Bazm-E-Niswan’ website. Candidates were required to fill out an online application and submit the hard copy of the application at the trust’s office. The fresh students who had secured more than 50 per cent in their previous exam were selected.
“We received 5,200 online applications this year as against 4,505 last year. The increase in applications indicates the growing need for scholarship due to the financial crisis post Covid 19,” Ms Sheriff said.
“Overall 69.7% students belong to BPL families and 30.3% belong to non BPL families,” she said.
However, the total number of applicants in Post Graduation was only 152, compared to 2,350 in Under Graduation. “This shows only 6.46% girls pursue Post graduation after completing their UG,” it was observed.
