Punjab Minister for Higher Education Rana Sikandar Hayat Khan inaugurated Pakistan’s largest scholarship programme for the financial assistance of talented students in Punjab.
In this regard, a launching ceremony was organised at Punjab University in which PU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali, Secretary Higher Education Dr Farrukh Naveed, Punjab Higher Education Commission Chief Operating Officer Dr Mansoor Ahmed Baloch, faculty members and a number of students were present.
Addressing the ceremony, Minister Hayat said Honhaar Undergraduate Scholarship Programme was the largest scholarship programme in the history of Pakistan under which the fee of 30,000 intelligent students of public and private universities would benefit. The minister said that the fee of the four-year BS degree programme of the intelligent students would be paid every year on behalf of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and every year new students would also be included in the scholarship scheme.
He said that the eligibility criteria regarding family income range had been set with the monthly income of Rs300,000 to support upper middle class families in the scholarship programme. He said that students of government medical colleges would also be included in the scheme. The minister said that students would be given scholarships in 67 disciplines which were in high demand worldwide. Sikandar said that the Honhaar Undergraduate Scholarship Programme would help in producing the best human resource. He said that CM Punjab had launched a number of initiatives for the welfare of the youth. He said that the students of PU had got a very competent VC.
PU VC Dr Muhammad Ali said that Honhaar Scholarship Programme was a revolution in the field of higher education. He said that the meritorious scholarship program would produce skilled and quality graduates in various fields. The VC said that the scholarship programme would strengthen higher education sector in the province.
The Minister also spoke to the students and answered the questions related to the scholarship scheme.