St Xavier’s University will offer a 50 per cent waiver on the tuition fee to MBA students from the second semester if their family income is less than Rs 4 lakh a year, a move prompted by pandemic-induced financial constraints.

The university is introducing the Father Beckers Scholarship to offer the waiver — Rs, 2.05 lakh in each semester, vice-chancellor Father Felix Raj told Metro.

Father Beckers, a DSc in biochemistry, had come to India in 1954 and joined the chemistry department of St Xavier’s College in 1960. He had served as head of the department for over a decade.

The Belgian priest became an Indian citizen in 1978. “Since retiring from service, Father Beckers had been working for the marginalised, especially the santhals of Bengal. As the scholarship stems from a spirit of benevolence, we decided to name if after him,” said Father Felix Raj.

“The pandemic has caused hardship to the families of the students. The financial constraints will not go away easily,” the VC said. “So the scholarship will be offered from the second semester onwards”.

The university will try to give the scholarship to “as many MBA students as possible based on the annual income”.

Since admissions will start in June and the waiver will come in force from the second semester, the detailed criteria will be announced later, an official said.

The recipients of the scholarship will have to comply with other conditions such as at least 75 per cent attendance in all semesters and no arrear paper in any preceding semester.

Of all the components of the fee in the MBA programme, the tuition fee is the highest. “Therefore, we have decided to offer a waiver on the tuition fee,” the VC said.

Last month, St Xavier’s University had decided to offer a concession on fees in the current semester (January to June) to the undergraduate and postgraduate students who would need it.

Institutions across Bengal are offering fee relief to students and helping them buy smartphones or laptops so they can attend classes on digital platforms amid the pandemic.

Convocation

St Xavier’s University will hold its second convocation on February 6.

A total of 451 postgraduate and undergraduate students of the university will be awarded degrees.

The ceremony will be conducted in a blended mode with only 80 rank holders joining the programme in person.