The BJP-led Arunachal Pradesh government, which declared 2024-25 as the “Year of Youth” on Wednesday, will provide scholarships to all Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribe (APST) candidates gaining admission in undergraduate and postgraduate courses into the top 150 global universities as per QS World University Rankings.

The QS World University Rankings is the most comprehensive ranking of its kind on the best institutions from across the world.

The announcement declaring 2024 as the Year of the Youth, the scholarships and other schemes for the empowerment of youth of the frontier state were made in the state budget tabled in the Assembly by deputy chief minister and finance minister Chowna Mein on Wednesday.

Mein said in his 45-page speech on the budget, aimed at “fulfilling the aspirations of every person, especially our youth, women and farmers”, said the state government will launch the Innovative Arunachal Pradesh Scholarship for Academic Excellence Scheme.

“Under this, we shall provide scholarships to all APST youth gaining admission in Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses into the top 150 global universities as per QS World University Rankings. These scholarships would include payment of 75 per cent of tuition fees, on-campus residence fees and airfare to and from the university, and also medical insurance premium charges,” Mein said.

The state government, Mein said, will also cover 75 per cent of the training and associated fees for obtaining commercial pilot licences from recognised government institutes in the country like Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Academy.

“The inauguration of the Donyi Polo Airport, Arunachal Pradesh’s first greenfield airport, has put the state into the national aviation map for the first time since independence.

“However, the high cost of training for Commercial Pilot Licenses often deters our youth from pursuing careers as pilots.... We shall target to support up to 10 youths in the coming years,” Mein saidc