- Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren emphasised on the importance of these schemes, the Guruji Student Credit Card and the Manki Munda Scholarship in removing obstacles hindering students’ pursuit of Higher Education
Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren launched two schemes on March 11, 2024 aimed at improving students’ access to Higher Education. At the inauguration event in Ranchi’s Tana Bhagat Stadium, Soren highlighted the significance of these schemes, the Guruji Student Credit Card and the Manki Munda Scholarship, in overcoming obstacles hindering students’ pursuit of Higher Education.
The Guruji Student Credit Card scheme offers collateral-free education loans of up to Rs 15 lakh with an annual interest rate of 4 percent. Repayment starts one year after course completion, with the government acting as guarantor. The Manki Munda Scholarship scheme aims to encourage girls to pursue technical education, providing Rs 15,000 annually for diploma courses and Rs 30,000 for engineering.
About 1,200 students registered for the Guruji Student Credit Card scheme and 800 for the Manki Munda Scholarship scheme. The Chief Minister personally awarded credit cards and scholarships to two students from each scheme as a symbolic gesture and stressed on the importance of Higher Education for labourers’ and farmers’ children in realizing a developed Jharkhand.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the Mukhyamantri Shiksha Protsahan Yojna, offering a monthly stipend of Rs 2,500 to students to cover coaching expenses to ensure that financial constraints do not hinder education. Soren reiterated education’s significance, stating that without it, development at the family, societal, and State levels is not feasible. He inaugurated a new 3D theatre at the regional science centre in Ranchi, underscoring the government’s commitment to promoting education and innovation in the State.