Increase in NDF scholarship welcomed by IPS Association

Indian Police Service (IPS) Association on Saturday welcomed the Narendra Modi government's decision to enhance the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme given under the National Defence Fund (NDF). "We at IPS Association express our heartfelt gratitude to PM Sri @narendramodi for his Cabinet's decision to include wards of police martyrs in the Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme as well as raising the amount disbursed under it," it said in a tweet.

In his first decision after being sworn-in to head the government for a second term, Modi, who had made national security an important plank in the elections, on Friday hiked the scholarship assistance under the NDF. The rates of scholarship have been increased from Rs 2000 per month to Rs 2500 per month for boys and from Rs 2250 per month to Rs 3000 per month for girls.

The ambit of the Scholarship Scheme has been extended to the wards of State Police officials who are or were martyred during terror or Naxal attacks. The quota of new scholarships for the wards of state police officials will be Rs 500 in a year. "Our government's first decision dedicated to those who protect India! Major changes approved in PM's Scholarship Scheme under the National Defence Fund including enhanced scholarships forwards of police personnel martyred in terror or Maoist attacks," Modi had said in a tweet later.

The NDF was set up in 1962 to take charge of the voluntary donations in cash and kind received for promotion of the national defence effort, and to decide on their utilisation. Currently, the fund is being used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces, Para Military forces and Railway Protection Force, and their dependents.

The fund is administered by an Executive Committee with the Prime Minister as the Chairperson and the Defence, Finance and Home Ministers as Members.

(With inputs from agencies.)