A seminar of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) scholarship programme was held here on Sunday at the Munshi Hussain Khan Technical Institute.
Madhya Pradesh Bhoj University Vice Chancellor Professor Tariq Zafar was the chief guest on the occasion.
IDB - MET (Muslim Education Trust) Honorary Students Counselor (HSC) - Central Zone Mohd Shahid Malik was the guest of honor and Association of Indian Muslims (AIM) secretary Owais Arab was especially present to grace the occasion.
The MET is the counterpart of the IDB scholarship program in India which has so far awarded scholarship grants to more than 5,000 students since its inception in 1983.
Scholarship cheques were also presented to over 50 students from various parts of the state on the occasion.
Malik while talking to The Pioneer said, “We provide scholarships to the needy students to carry out their studies besides setting up their Mind, Character and Community. We want to make them good citizens for building a better society in the country.”
On the eligibility criteria for IDB scholarship, Malik said that a student must have secured a minimum of 60 percent marks in English, Physics, Chemistry and Biology or Mathematics in the senior secondary examination; should not be aged above 24 years and not be a recipient of any other scholarship; and after benefiting from this scholarship he must undertake to serve the community.
The announcement for the scholarship is made on February or March of each year and granted at the commencement of the academic year in India, he said.
Owais Arab said, “The IDB-MET scholarship program aims to improve the education standards of the Muslim students.”
He further said, “The program has come to the forefront in providing financial assistance to poor students in countries where Muslims are in the minority despite the fact that these countries are fully-fledged members of the IDB.”
Owais Arab further said that such humanitarian support to improve the educational standards of the Muslim community has come as a great help to Indian Muslims with huge success rates in checking the drop-out rate of meritorious students having the ambition to pursue higher studies in professional courses.
Prof Tariq Zafar in his address said that it is good to note that the IDB aims to develop the potentialities of qualified Muslim students by providing much needed financial assistance.