When many of his age would depend on others to stand on their own feet, Rameshwar Prasad (85) a former technocrat of Dhanbad is helping several academically sound but financially weak future technocrats by sponsoring scholarship on his own as well as with help from Indians settled abroad.

A retired mechanical engineer of ACC Sindri, Prasad, launched the endeavour to extend financial support to gifted girls of plus two of below poverty line families in 2012 on his own but even before that he had been extending support to meritorious students of different engineering, technical and medical colleges through, Foundation For Excellence, a NGO of NRIs in US having its office in Bengaluru.

Prasad also conducts educational and health awareness programmes in remote areas of the district and has established a library cum computer training centre in Tundi with the help of NRIs and also extended medical support in the form of health counselling, medicine and oximeter support to these villagers during the time of pandemic. Talking to The Telegraph Online today, Prasad said, “Like every year since 1994 when the FFE was established, we are seeking applications from needy students of 1^st year B Tech and MBBS to provide them with scholarship through FFE under which financial assistance worth Rs 40,000 per year is given to each selected student.”

Divulging more details, Prasad who serves as coordinator of FFE India trust said, “Only such students of less than Rs 2.5 lakh per annum family income are eligible for the scholarship and who have not taken any other scholarship provided by other institutions including government. Only those candidates who have secured below 75000 rank in General Category (no rank bar for OBC/SC/ST students) or less than 600 rank in JAC competitive examination and below 2000 rank in West Bengal Engineering competitive exams are eligible for scholarship for which they can apply till December 31 by contacting me on my mobile number 7004025668/941123185 (Whatsapp Number).”

He further said that under the scholarship proframme for girl students of plus two (science) given through Prakash Foundation, established by him in 2012, students whose family income is less than Rs 80,000 per annum and are academically sound can avail of Rs 14,000 per annum but the during pandemic last year, they were provided with smart phones for online classes.