Class 12 graduates perform scholarships using volunteers in the district collector in Nagapattinam. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
In the move to bridge the gap in the area of accessibility in higher education, the District Administration Nagapattinam performed the first awareness of the scholarship awareness within the District Education Program (DeEP). This initiative combined more than 250 government school students and several NGOs offering educational sponsorship.
The camp, which took place at the beginning of this week, had 253 targeted students from the economically and socially vulnerable environment-by the first generation, orphans, children of lonely parents and students with disabilities-from many who did not know that higher education could be a viable option.
The event caused a reflection among non -governmental organizations. “We have already paid higher education fees for 11 students. It was an eye opener,” said S. Rajinikanth, who represented the MN Gayathri, VRCF and Seeds charity organizations. “We usually get polished online applications from urban areas. But here students fought for forms, some used basic phones. It reminded us who really needs support.”
He said that coordination at the district level made this process more efficient. “We normally verify applications from door to door. This time the administration brought us proven students – disruption of time and ensuring confidence. If every district would do it, it could be thousands of others.”
Some non -governmental organizations have stated that experience has made them consider more inclusive practices, such as the production of their scholarship portals of Tamil or the introduction of offline applications.
The day saw 483 applications presented by 200 students, with instructions from 42 trained volunteers from Talent Quest India and TNAU Kilvelur. Each non -governmental organization had 10 minutes to present its eligibility criteria.
District collector P. Akash said in an interview with Hindu: “Most NGOs focus their efforts in city centers such as Chennai and Coimbatore. District like Nagapattinam are often overlooked because students do not apply online.
“We didn’t just inform them about scholarships – they enrolled in place,” he said, adding that many NGOs promised continued support, including help with confessions, teaching and hostel fees.
Published – 1 June 2025 20:37
