Ranchi, Jan 25 (IANS): Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday launched online the Mukhyamantri Fellowship Scheme to help needy students.

The students can apply online for scholarship, grants and other things and they will not have to run from one office to another.

Launching the scheme, Raghubar Das said: "Many times students fail to complete the studies due to paucity of funds. The state government is with such students."

The Jharkhand government was committed to promote research and it stood with those students who were interested in research work, Das said, adding that the fellowship scheme would help students interested in research.

He said: "The state government has taken many steps to promote higher education and fellowship for research is just one more step."

Elaborating on the scheme, Higher Education Secretary Ajay Kumar said: "The fellowship is for students of different categories: First is to provide fellowship to students studying in graduation in technical subjects, and second is that Rs 15,000 stipend will be given to students doing Ph.D and research work. This amount is given for three years."

If the research work of the students was accepted by any of the top 100 universities, "the student is provided Rs 1 lakh".