Date:09/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/09/stories/2007100959260200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Scholarships distributed to needy students

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K. Pichumani

To encourage education: ADGP Letika Saran distributing educational scholarships of the Jaigopal Garodia Scholarships Centre to a visually challenged student in Chennai on Monday. JGVV school principal G. Vijayakumar and trustee of JGVV Trust Ashok Kedia are in the picture.

CHENNAI: For S. Kumaran, a visually impaired student of Presidency College, the scholarship would make a big difference to pursue his academic dreams further. He was among the 1,080 needy students who were provided educational scholarships by the Jaigopal Garodia Scholarships Centre in Anna Nagar on Monday.

Students of 124 colleges across the State received scholarships worth a total of about Rs. 12 lakh from the centre, which is a wing of the Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya (JGVV) Trust.

Kumaran, who aspires to become an advocate, plans to buy books with the scholarship amount.

Presenting the scholarships to representatives of various colleges, Additional Director-General of Police (Administration) Letika Saran commended the efforts of the trust, which was founded in 2003 to help the needy students.

Ms. Saran said talented students must reach out to other less fortunate students and share their knowledge.

The centre’s co-ordinator, K.S. Kesavan, said it was established to encourage education of girl children and also support physically challenged students. that besides the 920 economically backward girl students, as many as 220 physically disabled students were given scholarships this year.

In a bid to reach out to more candidates, the annual scholarship amount has also been increased from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 12 lakh over the past five years, he added.

JGVV school principal G. Vijayakumar highlighted the other activities of the trust, which included the setting up of a charitable book bank, and talent development academies and free coaching centres for professional courses entrance examinations.

The trust has also adopted eight government schools in various areas, including Choolai, Manali, Madhavaram and Nanganallur, he said. The trustee of JGVV Trust, Ashok Kedia, and the school’s vice principal Sukanya Bhaskaran participated in the function.