CLAIM
A message circulating on Whatsapp claims that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a scholarship scheme for students who have passed Class 10 and Class 12 grade.
According to the message, Class 12 students scoring more than 85 percent stand to claim Rs 25,000, while Class 10 students scoring more than 75 percent can claim Rs 10,000.
TRUE OR FALSE?
The viral message is entirely false. There is no scholarship in the name of former President APJ Abdul Kalam and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee that entitles meritorious students to any such benefits.
WHAT WE FOUND OUT?
If the link provided in the message is followed, it takes one to the Ministry of Defense Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare page which provides information about the PM’s Scholarship Scheme for dependent wards/widows of ex-servicemen and ex-Indian coast guard personnel.
This scholarship specifically states that “wards of civilians, including paramilitary personnel, are NOT ELIGIBLE.”
The website has no mention of a Abdul Kalam-Vajpayee scholarship for Class 10 and Class 12 students.
The following screenshot taken from the Ministry of Defence Department of Ex-Servicemen website provides details of the PM’s Scholarship Scheme for dependent wards/widows of ex-servicemen and ex-Indian coast guard personnel for the academic year 2016-17.
The Quint reached out to the Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) to verify whether a scholarship in the name of Abdul Kalam – Vajpayee exists.
A ministry official stated that information about all the scholarships brought out by the central government are listed on the HRD website. Schemes for school students can be found here: https://mhrd.gov.in/schemes-school.
We found no mention of any scholarship in the name of either Kalam or Vajpayee on the website.
A different version of the same message which too claimed that scholarship was being offered to student of Class 10 and Class 12 was earlier debunked by The Quint.
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