India is a land where there is no dearth of young educated talent. Still, nearly 70% of our population belongs to rural areas where there are not enough resources for good education. Most of the people are living in slums below the poverty line. This widespread poverty forces them to work as a labor class and they are deprived of basic education. In the pre-independence time, education was given importance with the introduction of the charter act in 1813. This first act provided funds for education. Also with the establishment of the Hindu college in 1817, the mission of spreading education got its wings.

The roots of scholarships are based in pre-independence times but in a post-independence era, with the introduction of the Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49), the focus was on setting up of rural universities to help and provide needy people to get good quality of education.  The biggest benefit of scholarships is the cost of quality education gets reduced and those people who were earlier forced to be in the labor class now have the opportunity to pursue good quality education without any extra financial burden. Scholarships are considered far better than loans as taking loans is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Scholarships in India can be classified under various heads some are need-based, some are related to sports, some are minority-based religious scholarships and some are full-time or part-time. These classifications which are based on specific criteria help to shortlist the right candidates for the right scholarships. Even though low-income group people are known as underprivileged yet there is no dearth of talent in them. In fact, students belonging to backward communities only need the right guidance and financial assistance to outshine others in this tough competition.

Another advantage of a scholarship is that it makes the resume of students attractive. A student who got a scholarship from a prestigious institute definitely stands out in the crowd. The Indian government has provided special funds which are dispersed through Union Grants Commission. Also, the Kothari commission recommended spending 6% of National Income on education which is still in force. Union Grants Commission has been allotted the responsibility of dispersing funds to various colleges and educational institutions. Scholarships have a positive impact on students, it not only motivates them to pursue education but also help them in becoming good citizen of our country. Students from rural areas with the help of good education will also reach decent positions which will in turn help them to improve financially and sustain higher standards of living for themselves as well as their families.

The Indian education system has witnessed a sharp increase in literacy rate and the overall increase in Gross Enrollment Ratio post-independence and the whole credit goes to scholarships. The right talent is mostly located in rural areas they only need the right direction with financial assistance to reach new heights. There is no difference between rural and urban students if rural students are provided scholarships for getting a good value education.

Last but not least students from backward areas with the help of scholarships have proved that they are the best in the industry and at par with their peers. Many rural area students have turned into great leaders and thinkers and are contributing to our society in a positive way. So one can safely say that scholarships are the best gift provided to needy students for their upliftment.