Phase-II of Honahar scholarship programme launched: Punjab CM says economic indicators signal steady momentum

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said on Monday that the country’s economic indicators are on a positive trajectory, with a rising stock exchange and declining inflation, reflecting the government’s dedication and hard work.

While addressing the launching of Phase-II of the “Chief Minister Honhar Scholarship Programme,” which is the largest scholarship initiative in Pakistan’s history, aimed at awarding scholarships to 30,000 students annually, at a ceremony held at FAST University in Islamabad.

Under this programme, 120,000 students will get scholarships in next four years. Talented students can pursue higher education from the best institutions without worrying about their financial situation.

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Maryam Nawaz revealed plans to offer international scholarships to support the children of Punjab in pursuing higher education at renowned global universities.

The CM said, “The Punjab government is responsible for paying 100% of the educational expenses of successful students under this programme.”

She said, “Students of 65 universities, 12 medical and dental colleges and 359 colleges in Punjab are receiving Chief Minister Honhar Scholarships.”

She added, “Students of 68 subjects/disciplines will be able to meet their educational expenses in the form of scholarships under the programme. Students under the age of 22 with a domicile of Punjab will be eligible for the Honhar Scholarship. Monthly income of parents of the eligible student should be less than Rs 300,000 per month.”

The CM said, “In order to ensure transparency in the Scholarship Programme, all applications were received and processed through an online portal.” She added, “In addition to the committee of each educational institution, the scrutiny process was also carried out by a provincial-level committee and the entire process was supervised by a steering committee chaired by the Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.”

It may be noted that the first ceremony of the “Honahar Scholarship Programme” was held at the University of Punjab, in which scholarships were awarded to 2,473 students.

In the 2nd ceremony held at FAST University Islamabad, scholarships will be distributed among a total of 2,570 students of Rawalpindi Division. She said, “Under the Honahar Scholarship Programme, 1,886 students of UET Lahore were awarded scholarships. About 1,660 scholarships are for the students of public sector universities, while 637 scholarships are for the students of federal universities, which will be distributed among the students of private sector universities.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024