ISLAMABAD: The government is launching Ehsaas Undergraduate Scholarship (EUS) project during the current month to impart education to students belonging to unprivileged families and areas.

This was stated by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation Dr Sania Nishtar at a meeting of EUS project’s steering committee held to firm up modalities of the joint working by Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday.

“One of the important Ehsaas initiatives, the scholarship scheme is to be launched this month,” said Ms Nishtar.

She said Ehsaas had over 130 policies and programmes and the undergraduate scholarship project was one of them.

A memorandum of agreement was signed between the BISP and the HEC on Sept 20, 2019. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms Nishtar and HEC Chairman Dr Tariq Banuri.

She said Article 25-A of the Constitution provides the right to free education to children aged five to 16 years and in order to provide financial access to education beyond that point, Ehsaas is launching the scholarship programme.

Through this, students qualifying for the project will have access to undergraduate education regardless of income, gender or location. The number of scholarships will be determined based on the budget envelope.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has instructed that the undergraduate scheme should be launched as soon as possible.”

The government, she said, realised that deprivation to education was the highest contributor in Pakistan’s national multidimensional poverty index.

“Therefore, Ehsaas wishes to pay special attention to the education of undergraduate students, especially women and girls, from underprivileged families and areas,” she added.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2019