The Chief Minister Education Endowment Fund (CMEEF) held a scholarship award distribution ceremony at Chief Minister’s House Peshawar on Wednesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur as the chief guest. Provincial Minister for Higher Education Meena Khan Afridi, MNA Shahid Khan Khattak, officials of Higher Education Department and other concerned officials attended the ceremony. The chief minister on this occasion, distributed scholarships and certificates among 65 deserving and talented students for graduate and undergraduate programs. Briefing the participants about the scholarships so far awarded under Chief Minister Education Endowment Fund, it was informed that the fund was established in 2014 with seed amount of Rs. 940 million, under which, a total of 444 scholarships worth Rs. 546.47 million had been awarded till date. According to the details, 107 graduate scholarships worth Rs. 47 million and 327 undergraduate scholarships worth Rs. 302 million, have been awarded in the approved leading national institutes. Similarly, 3 MS and 7 PhD scholarships worth Rs. 197.47 million, have been awarded in the top universities of the world. Addressing the ceremony, the chief minister congratulated the students awarded with scholarship certificates and hoped that they would move forward with more dedication and hard work and play well at their part in making the name of the nation bright at international level. On this occasion, the chief minister announced increase in the seed amount of Endowment Fund from Rs 940 million to Rs 2.00 billion aimed at awarding more scholarships as well as supporting the orphan students in the province. He also announced to allocate funds in the upcoming provincial budget for supporting the talented students who are interested in studying abroad, but unable to afford it due to their poor financial conditions. The chief minister said, we are proud of our talented and hardworking youth and we will go all out to enable them to stand on their own feet. He said that education was the top most priority of his government and all possible steps would be taken for strengthening the higher education sector in the province. PTI government from the day first, envisaged to a system that is based on merit and transparency, on which we have never compromised or will do in the future, he said. He asked the students to work hard and stick to their goals, the government will extend its all-out support to them. “Bow down to your Lord the almighty, you will not need to bow down to anyone else”, he said and added that making Pakistan a great country, that was dreamt by Allama Iqbal, was our shared responsibility, for which, we all had to play our respective role in an efficient manner.