RGN fellowship to be continued: CCEA

New Delhi, Feb 7 (UNI) The central sector scheme of Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) will continue to be offered to ST students for pursuing higher studies such as M Phil and Ph D courses, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) decided today.

The scheme covers all universities and institutions recognised by the University Grants Commission under section 2(f) of the UGC Act, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters.

Fellowships would be available only for undertaking regular MPhil/PhD courses. The maximum duration of the fellowship would be five years. The total number of fellowships every year would be 667.

An outlay of Rs 26 crore would be spent during 2007-08 and during the Eleventh Five Year Plan the expenditure was projected at Rs 175.985 crore, while 12,079 ST students were expected to be covered during 2007-12.

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