India’s prestigious university, Banaras Hindu University has added 12 new scholarships for the students. The decision comes as the university received donations worth Rs 50 lakh from Kishori Jhunjhunwala, wife of industrialist Dhinanath Jhunjhunwala. Under BHU’s Pratidana Initiative, the family of alumni contributed the money to incorporate more scholarships for the benefits of students.

On Saturday, Kishori Jhunjhunwala visited the university and handed over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to vice chancellor of Prof Sudhir Kumar Jain. For the establishment of ten scholarships of Rs 25,000 each, Kishori Jhunjhunwala has given a total of Rs 50 lakh. Eight of these scholarships will be given to Mahila Mahavidyalaya students who qualify based on merit and financial need. Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vijnana Sankaya (Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan) students of Acharya will receive two scholarships.

Sh. Dhinanath Jhunjhunwala, the owner of Jhunjhunwala Oil Mills Ltd., graduated from the university in 1954 with a degree in industrial engineering. He is the husband of Mrs. Jhunjhunwala. Two scholarships for female BSc (Hons) Physics students have expressed gratitude for a donation of Rs 10 lakh from Jagdish Jhunjhunwala, MD of JJ Plastalloy Pvt. Ltd. and alumnus of the university.

Further, BHU has started to offer a new scholarship for students pursuing their first year in Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). The university plans to launch this scholarship for meritorious students, especially for those belonging to the economically weaker background of the first year MBBS. Selected students will receive Rs 25,000, as a part of the scholarship. The idea behind this scholarship is to help and support meritorious students coming from financially weaker backgrounds. This scholarship aims to help deserving candidates who aspire to become doctors, aiming to relieve their financial constraints claims the university.

Dr Ramesh Chandra Gupta, former head of department of Metallurgical Engineering at IT-BHU (now IIT BHU), had donated Rs 5 lakh to the varsity. “The new scholarship scheme Dr. Bhoj Raj Varma and Smt. Shanti Varma Memorial Scholarship is named after the close relatives of Gupta,” stated an official notice released by BHU.