Overseas education aspirants attending a certificate verification programme for the NTR Videsi Vidyadharana scheme in Vijayawada on Monday. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR more-in The two-day counselling and certificate verification session for students keen on going abroad for higher studies under the NTR Videshi Vidyadharana Scheme, began here on Monday. The session, organised by the BC Welfare Department for candidates from BC, EBC and Kapu communities, witnessed a huge turnout of students and parents from across the State. The certificates of over 900 candidates will be verified by the end of Tuesday and sanction certificates will be given to the eligible candidates. Addressing the candidates, Kapu Corporation chairman K. Subba Rayudu said that the scheme has become a boon for bright students with poor economic background. He said that the State has spent over ?300 crore for higher education of backward class candidates in universities across the world in the last three years. He said the lack of financial support has forced many students to drop plans of pursuing higher education abroad in the past and the unique scheme introduced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is enabling such youth to realise their dream. Eligible communities Principal Secretary to Government (BC Welfare Department) B. Udaya Lakshmi said that apart from socially backward communities, as many as 32 communities that are economically backward are included in the scheme. She said candidates belonging to the considered communities should not have a family income of more than ?6 lakh per annum and not exceed the age of 35. She said admissions in institutions and countries identified by the State government will only be considered for the scheme. Department director B. Rama Rao and Kapu Corporation MD Siva Shankar Rao were among those present.

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