The “Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children” (SPDC) was launched by the The Government of India 2007, to assist children/wards of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) in pursuing under graduate courses in several disciplines in India. Under this scheme, over close to 400 PIO/NRI students have benefited during the last four academic years. The following are the highlights of the SPDC 2011-12:

• 100 scholarships are being offered for undergraduate courses in several disciplines including Engineering / Architecture / Technology, Humanities / Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management (Bachelor of Business Administration / Bachelor of Business Management), Journalism, Hotel Management, Agriculture / Animal Husbandry, Science, Law etc.
  
  
• The programme is open only to PIOs/NRIs from the specified 40 countries having a larger concentration of Indian Diaspora.
  
  
• 50 % of the scholarship slots would be reserved of PIOs. However, in the event of the non-availability of suitable PIO candidates, the unfilled slots could be assigned to NRI candidates.
  
  
• NRI candidates would be eligible for the grant of the scholarship only if their total family income per month does not exceed an amount equivalent to US $ 2,250 (US dollars two thousand two hundred and fifty only) per month.
  
  
• Children of NRIs should have pursued at least three years of education, inclusive of 11th & 12th or equivalent (not beyond), in a foreign country during the last six years, and should have passed the qualifying examination abroad.
  
  
• The student should send the original application form directly to Ed.CIL, and a copy of the application form must also be sent to the Education Wing, High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur.
  
  
• The last date for receipt of duly filled-in application forms in the prescribed format by Ed.CIL is 18th June 2011.
  
  
• PIO/NRI Students already studying in India on a self-financing basis or under any other arrangement will not be eligible under this scheme, which is open only for fresh admissions in the first semester/year of undergraduate courses.
  
  
• Candidates would be selected on the basis of merit i.e. on their performance in the qualifying examination (equivalent to Standard 12 in India, or STPM or 'A' Levels in Malaysia).
  
  
• The amount of scholarship admissible would be 75 % of the total Institutional Economic Cost (IEC) or US $ 3,600 (US dollars three thousand six hundred) per annum, whichever is less. IEC includes Tuition fee, Hostel fee & other institutional charges.
  
  
• Admission may be sought in one of the institutes/colleges/universities given in Appendix ‘C’ of the information booklet.
  
  
• For admission in NITs/IIITs the candidate would have to appear for the SAT II examination. For furthere details refer to the SPDC 2011-12 Information Booklet.
  
  

Age: Applicants in the age group of 17 to 21 years as on 1st October 2011 are eligible to apply for SPDC 2011-12 i.e. applicants born on or after 1st October, 1990 and before 1st October,1994 are eligible to apply for the year 2011-12.

Academic Qualification: Candidates with 60% aggregate marks or equivalent grades in Higher Secondary (12th standard) or equivalent i.e. A Levels, STPM, etc. as recognized by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), are eligible to apply. The candidate must have studied the prescribed essential subjects at the qualifying examination level to pursue a particular course of study.

Preparation of Merit List: A Merit List would be drawn up on the basis of marks obtained by all the eligible candidates in their qualifying exam (Standard 12 or STPM or 'A' Levels or equivalent). The actual procedure of drawing up the merit list is explained in detail in the SPDC 2011-12 Information Booklet.

In case, a candidate has passed from an Examining Body which award only Grades and does not disclose marks obtained by them, the candidate would be required to submit the Range of the Grades adopted by the concerned Board/Examining Body and the Merit/Priority in such cases, would be decided on the basis of average/mean of the Range of the Grade scored by the candidate in each subject.

The application forms are available for download from this website (on the right-hand side of this web-page). Alternatively a printed copy can be obtained from the Education Wing, High Commission of India, located at No. 2, Jalan Taman Duta, Off Jalan Duta, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, (Telefax: 03 2092 2339).

Further information on SPDC can also be accessed at (www.edcilindia.co.in).