Gandhinagar, August 12: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel announced the distribution of over ₹646 crore in scholarships and educational assistance to more than 472,000 students on Wednesday. A significant portion of this funding was allocated to girls who passed their 10th and 12th board exams under the ‘Namo Lakshmi’ scheme.
During a ceremony held at the Swarnim Sankul in Gandhinagar, financial aid was directly transferred to beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. The government reported that over 472,260 students benefited from this initiative.
Under the ‘Namo Lakshmi’ scheme, more than 400,000 girls received over ₹513 crore after passing their 10th and 12th board exams.
Additionally, the ‘Namo Saraswati Science Sadhana’ scheme provided ₹28 crore to over 57,000 students who passed their 12th-grade science stream exams.
Information from the state education department highlights ‘Namo Lakshmi’ as a major financial support initiative for girls’ education.
Furthermore, ₹105 crore was distributed under various scholarship and higher education assistance programs. Of this, ₹96 crore was allocated to 7,260 students through schemes such as the ‘Chief Minister’s Youth Self-Reliance Scheme,’ ‘Scheme for Developing High-Quality Research,’ ‘Chief Minister Shri Scholarship Scheme,’ and ‘Chief Minister Kanya Kelvani Nidhi Scheme.’
Moreover, 48 institutions received ₹9 crore in grants. Patel emphasized that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid a strong foundation for education, which serves as a basis for Gujarat’s development.
He noted that the state government’s focus on education, health, and security has supported the Prime Minister’s vision of promoting girls’ education.
Referring to the ‘Namo Lakshmi’ and ‘Namo Saraswati’ schemes, Patel mentioned their positive outcomes, particularly in encouraging girls to pursue studies in science. He also called for increased collaboration between teachers and society to achieve better educational results.
Patel remarked that given the changes in children’s attitudes and the growing sense of curiosity, it has become essential for the teaching community to prepare more effectively.
He assured that the government would stand by teachers, but emphasized that society must also support them closely to achieve better outcomes.
The Chief Minister also announced a campaign to identify children who have dropped out of school and facilitate their re-enrollment. He stressed the need for improved coordination between students and the education system for further progress in the sector.
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