The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) has sent a request to the Finance Ministry for additional Rs 80 million to grant scholarships to children of civil staff.

Finance Ministry Under-Secretary Ishori Prasad Aryal confirmed receiving a request for additional funds for the scholarship. “We have not yet decided regarding the matter,” he said.

The Federal Affairs Ministry plans to disburse scholarships to 708 children of civil servants this fiscal year.Additionally, it has to grant scholarships to the 300 children of civil servants who did not receive it last year, following the freezing of the budget because the grant was not released on time, Federal Affairs Ministry officials said.

Overall, the ministry plans to grant scholarships to 1,008 children of civil staff this year.

In the last fiscal year, 701 children of civil servants were eligible for scholarship, according to the ministry.

The government grants such scholarships to the children of the civil servants since 2011. There are two types of the scholarships - central and district levels.

Civil servants’ children taking Bachelors Degree course receive central level scholarships while 10+2 level students receive district level scholarship.

Scholarship Management Committee headed by the Secretary of Federal Affairs Ministry selects candidates for central level scholarship. A committee headed by Chief District Officer selects students for district level scholarship.

According to the Directive on Providing Scholarship to Children of Civil Servants, the government provides maximum Rs 500,000 to students pursuing MBBS, Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), and Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) under central scholarship, providing the cost exceeds Rs 500,000.

Those students pursuing education in other subjects receive Rs200,000 scholarship, providing the cost exceeds Rs500,000. If the cost is less than Rs 500,000 during the study period, the grant is Rs150,000 maximum.

A student securing at least second division in the 10+2 exams and one studying in the first year of Bachelor’s Degree qualify for the scholarship.As practiced in civil services, the scholarship has quota of 45 percent for women, indigenous nationalities, Madhesi, Dalit, Differently-abled and Backward areas.

Under the district level scholarships, four children of civil servants -two boys and two girls- who score highest marks in each district receive scholarship of Rs5000 per month for two years.

As per the directive, a student securing at least second division in Secondary Education Examination (SEE) by studying at the community school is eligible for this scholarship. 

Over 5,000 children of civil servants have received scholarships since 2011. The government has spent around 670 million for scholarships up to the last fiscal year, the ministry said.