BANGALORE: Governor T.N. Chaturvedi on Thursday inaugurated the Loomba Trust's Karnataka State Educational Programme to educate 100 children of poor widows in Bangalore. The Governor presented scholarships of Rs. 500 to each of these children, chosen from 12 schools run by the State Government and the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP).

The Governor lauded the efforts of the trust in educating poor children. "This programme exemplifies the faith the Trust has in the future of society and children. This is a significant function focussed on a social purpose," the Governor said. Pointing out that society is conscious about the problem of educating poor children, the Governor said there is a need to create awareness about such social causes. He said the programme is a classic example of "friendly relations" between India and U.K. as a UK-based multinational KPMG is supporting the programme. The Loomba Trust, which is educating 2,400 children of poor widows in 17 States in India, including 500 children who lost their parents in tsunami in Tamil Nadu, has now taken up the programme in Bangalore. Under the programme, the identified children will get scholarships of Rs. 500 a month for five years initially.

"The scholarships will be renewed every year based on the performance of the student. But if the child drops out from school or fails in the examinations, the scholarship will be stopped," the trust's Country Head S.L. Bhambri said.

He said widows, whose monthly income is less than Rs. 1,500, and whose children are studying in kindergarten to Pre-University Courses have been selected irrespective of gender or religion. L.M. Singhvi, chairman trustee, India, recalled that Raj and Veena Loomba in U.K. established the trust in June 1997 in memory of Raj's mother, Shrimati Puspha Wati Loomba.

He said Ms. Loomba became a widow at 37 and succeeded in educating her seven children. Ian Barlow, senior partner London Office, KPMG, spoke.

The beneficiaries are from the BMP Girls' High School, Murphy Town; BMP Junior College for Girls, Mathikere; Government Higher Primary School, Chunchankuppe Post, Byalalu; Government Higher Primary School, Gokul 1st Stage; Government Higher Primary School, Vimanapura; Government Kannada Model Primary School, Prakashnagar; GLPS, Annasandrapalya; Government Model Primary School, Viswaneedam Post, Hegganahalli; Government Model Primary School, Santhebeedi, Yeshwanthpur; Government High School, Bazaar Road, Yeshwanthpur; Lions School, Kuvempunagar, Kanakapura; and Sunrise English Higher Primary School, Mohanraj Layout, Bhoopsandra.

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