Monday, March 11, 2002		The world of  dot.com

HIGHER education is no more a daunting task for students studying in India or abroad. Sometimes, bright students are not able to benefit from higher education scholarships simply because they are not aware of what scholarship avenues are there. Scholarships are a 'must-have' for any student planning to go abroad for higher studies. In case you or your near and dear ones intend going on such a mission, try these sites:

This is the official Website of Department of Education, Government of India. This is a joint Website of the Department of Secondary Education and Higher Education as well as Department of Elementary Education and Literacy. Here the surfers can find the general guidelines for scholarship, National scholarship scheme, International scholarships, Commonwealth scholarship/Fellowship, Scholarships announcement archives and above all, the ‘Announcement’ link that provides information about the latest scholarships for study overseas. Moreover the surfer can submit his or her application form online. Here’s a piece of information on the site — The last date for submission of the Chinese Government Scholarship 2002-2003 is March 15, 2002.

This site is dedicated to the visionary Cecil J. Rhodes, British colonial pioneer and statesman who died on March 26, 1902. His aim was to provide better education to the every single student in his country and his concept moves to other different countries. This site is boon for those students who have a dream for higher studies on scholarship. On the index page students just have to click the ‘Apply’ link in which details of Indian Rhodes Scholarships is available. However, the application deadline for scholarship gets over by September 30, 2001. Students can get more information on scholarships for the next session on this Website. At present, six Rhodes scholars are elected from India every year. Indian headquarters are located in New Delhi.

The British Council was initially named as British Committee for Relations with other countries. It was founded as a voluntary organisation in 1934 and in 1936, its name was changed to British Council. The role of British Council is to assist young, bright Indian students and professionals who go to UK on scholarships, training and exchange programmes. Every year, approximately 350 Indian students are selected. There are various scholarships that are available, such as British Chevening Scholarships, Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan, Charles Wallace India Trust, International Networking Events, British Overseas Industrial Placement (BOND) Scheme, Iqbal Bahadur Sarin Visiting Fellowship for an Indian Journalist.

This site is regarded as of paramount importance for the students who want to study abroad on scholarship because this site is based on frames that are quite convenient for surfing and locating the particular area. On the left side the General Guidelines of different countries are available. For example, India, United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Japan, Australia and China. The right side provides information about the universities providing scholarships, complete with eligibility and value of scholarships.

— Jasjot Singh Narula