In order to provide better scholarship facilities to the minority, Common Services Centres (CSCs) in different districts of Tripura have started the process for authenticating biometric details of heads of the institutions, nodal officers, teachers, and students from Monday across the state.

Official sources said that the biometric authentication process has been started as per a directive of the Central government and the entire process has to be completed by the end of present August month.

While, giving details of the process before the media persons on Monday,  Gourab Deb, CSC manager in West Tripura district said that the biometric details of heads of institutes and nodal officers of 102 minority schools in the district are being authenticated and the process would be completed by August 10 next. Then, the authentication process for students of minority institutions will be carried out across the state and will also be completed by August 25 next.

The entire exercise is being done under the National Scholarship Portal of the Union government with support from the state government, said Deb.

The state government also provides a host of scholarships to girl students and those from SC, ST, OBC, and minority categories. Last month, state OBC Welfare Minister Santana Chakma said her department has instituted several scholarships and added that it will start disbursing the scholarships for the current academic year soon.

She said that the state government received 25,696 applications for pre-matric scholarships from OBC students whose families have an annual income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh. A total of 3,950 students will get the scholarship while 7,540 candidates have been selected for the post-matric scholarship.

A one-time financial grant for economically weaker OBC students is also being provided and 669 applications were received in the last financial year for the same.

It may be mentioned here that several scholarships including pre-matric scholarship, post-matric scholarship, merit-cum-means scholarship, boarding house stipend, a special incentive for girl students and the Begum Rokeya gold medal award are provided to minority students in Tripura.