Dharamshala: The Scholarship Section of the Department of Education (DoE), Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), has concluded its scholarship awareness and monitoring programme for Tibetan students in the South Zone. The programme, which took place from November 22 to 30, 2023, aimed to engage directly with students, monitor their conditions in various South Indian colleges, and promote awareness of DoE scholarships.

Led by Sonam Sangmo, Head of the DoE Scholarship and Sponsorship Section, and accompanied by Sonam Choedon, the programme covered key South Indian cities, including Mangaluru, Mysuru, and Bengaluru. These cities were focused owing to the significant number of Tibetan students pursuing tertiary education.

Apart from the programme they also met with University Principals and Directors to learn about academic offerings, network, and inform them about the Central Tibetan Administration, particularly Department of Education. Notably, the team had the opportunity to meet with Prof. N.K. Lokanath, Vice Chancellor of Mysore University.

Additionally, the team also met with various academic leaders, including Dr. (Prof) Fatima D. Silva, Principal of NITTE Usha Institute of Nursing Sciences; Naseem Banu and Divya, Heads of Admission at Yenepoya (Deemed to be University); Dr. Gresha Jose, Principal of Indira College of Nursing; and Dr. Judith Angelitta Noronha, Dean of the Department of Obstetrical and Gynaecological Nursing at Manipal Academy of Higher Education. They also met with Dr. Jeyanthi C., Principal of Teresian College, Mysuru; and from Bengaluru they met Fr. Dr. Augustine George, Principal of Kristu Jayanti College; Rev. Sr. Sajitha Moothedan, Principal of St. John’s College of Nursing; and Dr. Sam Paul Isaac, Director of Krupanidhi Group of Institutions. All these interactions were deemed valuable for future connections, with a shared commitment to supporting Tibetan students. The meeting also focuses on obtaining information about how our students are performing academically in their respective colleges.

The programme achieved its objectives of student engagement, monitoring, and scholarship awareness with active participation from the students along with kind support from the Chief Representative Office, Bengaluru, the Director of Tibetan Youth Hostel, the Director of Shenphen Charitable Trust, members of the regional Tibetan Youth Congress, and respective heads of student councils.

The Scholarship Section is one of the sections under the Department of Education, that provides scholarship support for Tibetan students to pursue tertiary education.