Media Release
Mangalore, Aug 18: Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund, established by World Konkani Centre, Mangalore will award merit-cum-means scholarships worth Rs 3 crore to students from Konkani communities in an award ceremony to be held on Monday August 20 at 11 am at TV Raman Pai Convention Centre, Kodialbail. This day is also commemorated for inclusion of Konkani Language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
The principal patron of the scholarship programme, T V Mohandas Pai, chairman, Manipal Global Education, will deliver the keynote address. The function will be presided by Dr P Dayananda Pai, chairman, Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation. Ivan D’Souza, MLC, executive director of Anand Rathi, Sandeep Shenoy, S M Syed Khaleelur Rahaman, president, Anjuman Group of Institutions, Bhatkal, M Padmanabha Pai, managing trustee, Shree Venkataramana Temple, Mangalore, and Melreeda Rodrigues, president, ICYM central council, Mangalore diocese will grace the function as guests of honour.
Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund: ‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ envisages grant of merit-cum-means scholarship for students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted by the Mangalore-based World Konkani Centre in the year 2010 as envisioned by the eminent thinker and corporate leader T V Mohandas Pai, the VKSSF has since then successfully raised and distributed over 4500 scholarships to the tune of Rs 5 crores.
Eminent Konkani philanthropists like Mohandas Pai, Dr Ranjan Pai, Dr P Dayanand Pai, Ramadas Kamath U, K V Kamath, M Jagannath Shenoi, Ronald Colaco, Grace Pinto, A Annappa S Kamath, Rohan Monteiro, Achut Pai, Pradeep Pai, Jagadish Kini, Sandeep Shenoy, Aravind Rao, B R Bhat and many more have come forward in support of this fund.
Programmes: VKSSF presently has several scholarship programmes. The flagship programme being the engineering and MBBS scholarship programme with a scholarship amount of Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 per year per student respectively. VKSSF has awarded 1,426 engineering and 67 MBBS scholarships since 2010. This year too VKSSF will support the professional education quest of 579 engineering and 36 MBBS scholars. Secondly, VKSSF also has a study abroad scholariship for higher education abroad, with scholarship amount of Rs 1 lac per year per student. VKSSF has since 2010 awarded 10 scholarships under this programme and this year too will award 4 scholarships under this category.
In view of widening the scope of the scholarship fund, VKSSF initiated a new scheme in 2012 to empower communities like Kudubi, Kharvi etc. Under this scheme VKSSF awards PUC and degree scholarships with a scholarship amount of Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,000 respectively. This initiative is also supported by government of Karnataka. VKSSF also has a special programme for degree students of Konkani speaking communities from Kerala state. Apart from this, VKSSF has also supported scholarship programmes like Vidya Poshak Udupi and Kharvi Vidya Nidhi, Kundapur.
Kshamata: Kshamata is a programme under VKSSF which is a development model for all scholarship participants to accomplish with an end result of personal growth, leadership development, and a greater appreciation for the Konkani society in particular and global society in general.
VKSSF Alumni Association (VAA): An alumni association of the students who have been scholars of the VKSSF for the full term of respective education courses came in to existence with 142 scholars from the first batch of VKSSF scholarship programme for engineering passing out from their course. An executive committee has been elected by the members with Lenita Jenifer Menezes as the president of the association.
Governance of the Fund: As the Fund is functioning on the basis of ‘stream’ concept, the entire amount generated every year will be distributed to the beneficiaries and no separate corpus will be maintained. Contributions to the fund will be eligible for tax exemption under section 80(G) of the Income Tax Act.
‘Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund’ is administered by a governing council comprising eminent personalities. U Ramdas Kamath, executive vice-president, Infosys, Bangalore is the chairman of the Fund and Pradeep G Pai, managing director of Hangyo Ice Creams Pvt Ltd, is the secretary. The council is also guided by Basti Vaman Shenoy, the founder and president of World Konkani Centre, Venkatesh N Baliga, secretary and board of trustees of Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation.