Nigerians Should Visit ICCR Portal for Academic Scholarship, Says Indian High Commission

By Michael Olugbode

High Commission of India in Nigeria has called on Nigerians to visit Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) portal for scholarship to study in India.

Speaking at the celebration of the 71st founders day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), recently by the High Commission of India in Nigeria, the acting High Commissioner Shri VSDL Surendra noted that ICCR is all about cultivating an enlightened understanding of Indian culture.

He added that when the entire global community is facing an unprecedented challenge, feeling lonely and disconnected, the message of Indian philosophy (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam), or the world, is that a family has become more relevant than any time in the past.

He said it’s portal is opened and people across the globe can start applying for the scholarship.

“Over the years, through this cross fertilization of ideas, ideals and cultures, ICCR has taken our millennia old civilizational and cultural values to the world and has fostered the goal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam the world as a family.”

Indian Council for Cultural Relations with a mandate of administering scholarship programmes of government of India annually awards about 3,940 scholarship under 26 different schemes to foreign students from about 140 counties. Amongst these 23 schemes, six are funded by ICCR from its’ own grant and others are administered on behalf of MEA and Ministry of Ayush.

The courses offered for studies are for undergraduate, postgraduate and M. Phil /PhD levels. In every academic year ICCR holds about 6000 + foreign students who are studying at various Central/States University, Institutes, NITs and Agricultural Institutions, among others.

Launched on January 17, 2018 by Honorable external affair Ministry Smt. Sushma Swaraj, the portal contains all relevant information regarding ICCR sponsored scholarship schemes and other information like name of the Indian universities, courses offered by them and guidelines of scholarship schemes.

In the academic year 2018-19, approximately 2,150 new foreign students have been confirmed for admission in various universities of India.

Present at the founder’s day, were; Mrs. Director, International Cultural Relations Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Director National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Memunat Ladidu-Lah, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe represented by Dr. Hajara Njidda and Ms. Dorothy Esiri, Director, Office of the DG, Centre for Management Development (CMD).

The occasion featured the launch of Sanskrit learning app: Little Guru