From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jan 30: Nationalised Syndicate Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Directorate of Minority Affairs, Minority Welfare Department of the State on Monday to facilitate payment of scholarships to students of pre and post matriculation belonging to the minority community through e-mode.

The Bank would facilitate opening savings bank account of the students of minority community across the State with zero balance.

Syndicate Bank Corporate Affairs General Manager K Dayananda Upadhyaya and Director of Directorate of Minorities Sadiya Sultanam signed the MoU in the presence of Syed Zameer Pasha, Secretary of State’s Minority Welfare Department.

The arrangement between the bank and the Directorate of Minority Affairs would bring the students into the banking fold and help in getting the scholarship amount on real time basis without any hassles.

Pasha said as many as 1,86,527 students were awarded scholarship under pre-matriculation and another 29,000 students under post-matriculation with the fund allocation of Rs 24.80 crore and Rs 11.12 crore respectively during 2011-12,

The minimum scholarship amount for pre-matric students is Rs. 1000 a year and maximum is Rs 5,000 a year. For post-matric students minimum and maximum scholarship amount is Rs 3,000 and Rs 7,000 a year, respectively.

Upadhyaya said the Bank will continue its efforts in implementing various government sponsored programmes reaching out to the needy people in nook and corner of the State and this alliance was a true testimony.