2,500 students will be sent abroad this year

In all, 2,500 students will be sent abroad this year for pursuing higher education under the ‘Videshi Vidya Deevena’ scheme, according to Minister for BC Welfare K. Atchannaidu.

Addressing the valedictory of the two-day students’ certificate verification exercise here on Thursday, Mr. Atchannaidu said 2,500 students had benefited from the scheme since its launch two years ago – 850 in the first year and 1,650 in the second year.“The aim of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is to prepare our students for the global challenges,” he said.The scheme is applicable to the students from the Backward Classes, economically backward families, and Kapu, Balija, Telaga, and Vaddera communities.

“An amount of 25 crore has been kept aside for the scheme,” the Minister said.Besides offering 10 lakh non-returnable aid in two instalments, the government was also taking care of visa and ticket charges under the scheme, Mr. Atchannaidu said.BC Welfare Department Secretary B. Udaya Lakshmi said students should first approach the chosen institution and obtain the I-20 certificate, a document that opens the door for admission into educational institutions.

“The certificate is given based on the merit of the student. We will verify the credentials of the university before offering financial help. The annual income of the parents should be less than  6 lakh,” she added.

Ms. Lakshmi said most of the students were preferring to study PG courses in engineering and management, and medicine.“The most sought-after countries are the U.S., the U.K. , Australia, and Germany. The students should spend a good amount of time to know the background of the university as there are many fake and substandard institutions offering courses,” she cautioned.Ms. Lakshmi exhorted the students to make use of the opportunity to join prestigious universities to pursue significant courses to emerge as global citizens.More than 500 students participated in the certificate verification exercise.