Scholarship tests to aid the financially weak

Statesman News Service

MALDA, June 26: The state education department will conduct National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship national level test across the state on 17 August, which is centrally sponsored, the district inspector of schools said today. The objective of the test is to provide financial assistance to 7,250 poor meritorious students from classes IX to XII in a state where family income is not more than 1, 50,000 per annum from all sources. Students will be getting scholarship of Rs. 500 per month for further studies. General students in Class IX who have secured more than 55 per cent marks in class VIII will be eligible to appear for the test while students belonging to backward classes who have secured around 50 percent in class VIII will be able to apply for the test. The application form is available at all district inspectors of schools. Candidates will have to submit their application forms by 16 July in the office of the DI. According to the Malda DI, Mr Chinmay Sarkar, the Central government will provide assistance to one lakh meritorious students across the country. The National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) took such a decision on 2 June 2008 in New Delhi. The authorities have agreed to sponsor 7,250 students in West Bengal this year. The NCERT will conduct a Mental Aptitude Test, (MAT) for 90minutes and a Scholastic Aptitude Test,(SAT) for one and half hours. There will be 90 multiple choice questions in each test which will be compulsory and general category candidates will have to secure at least 40 percent marks in each paper. For students belonging to the backward classes they have to obtain at least 32 percent marks.