India has provided 74 scholarships in Indian institutions of learning to Maldivian students who wish to pursue their studies in India, the Indian High Commission said in a statement Monday.
The scholarships are granted under the Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme, South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Scholarship Scheme -- including 39 scholarships offered by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
"India attaches the highest importance to its relations with the Maldives and is committed to cooperating with the Maldives in its developmental efforts," the statement read.
The Commonwealth scholarship offer includes undergraduate and postgraduate courses in arts, sciences, engineering, commerce, law and business administration. It also covers all student expenditure including airfare, accommodation and living allowances, the statement from the High Commission said.
According to the High Commission, out of the 39 Commonwealth scholars, 17 Maldivian students have already been offered placements in Indian universities and colleges.
In addition to the 74 scholarships offered by the Indian government, the Indian High Commission revealed that a total of 5, 530 Maldivian students have completed courses launched on June 15, 2011 under the 5.3 million U.S. dollars Technology Adoption Project funded by the Indian government.
This includes 3,053 teaching certifications, 1,674 certifications in the field of IT and 803 certifications in ICT related vocational courses.