Admissions Secured in Prestigious Universities in the UK and Australia; Efforts of Pyare Khan Remove Roadblocks

Nagpur: Twelve newly converted Buddhist students from the minority community in Nagpur have cleared the final hurdle to pursue higher education abroad, with their foreign scholarships finally approved. Thanks to the special intervention of the Maharashtra State Minority Commission, scholarships ranging from ₹52 lakh to ₹1 crore have been sanctioned for each student.

The beneficiaries — Sumit Jambhulkar, Ninad Jambhulkar, Kaushik Khobragade, Prinshu Dhone, Varun Ramteke, Abhijeet Lokhande, Palak Dhone, Sukeshini Jeevne, Sharvari Meshram, Ishika Ilme, Nitesh Wankhede, and Yash — have secured admission to the University of Bristol (UK), University of Sydney (Australia), and University of Melbourne (Australia). They will pursue courses in Cyber Security, MBA, Computer Science, International Business, Master of Commerce, and Data Science.

All students had applied under the Foreign Higher Education Scholarship Scheme, but the process was stalled due to technical issues and administrative delays. Despite multiple visits to government offices in Mumbai and Pune, the matter remained unresolved. It was only after they approached Pyare Khan, Chairman (Minister of State rank) of the Maharashtra State Minority Commission, that the scholarships were approved.

Following the approval, the students met Khan to express their gratitude. He felicitated them and offered best wishes for their academic journey abroad, saying, “If you want to learn to swim, you must overcome the fear of drowning. The true formula for success is to take the first step, then think.” He also urged them to return after completing their studies to serve society and the nation.

Khan further appealed to the students to spread awareness among aspiring scholars and help create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure talented youth do not face unnecessary delays or obstacles in accessing higher education opportunities abroad.

The Maharashtra Government’s Foreign Higher Education Scholarship Scheme supports meritorious and economically weaker students from the minority community who secure admission to the world’s top 200 universities. Eligibility criteria include being a resident of Maharashtra, belonging to a minority community, a maximum age of 35 years for postgraduate courses (40 years for PhD), and an annual family income not exceeding ₹8 lakh. Applications can be made through the state government’s official website.