Scholarship in music for 12 students

PUNE: The state ministry of cultural affairs has launched a scholarship programme in memory of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi for classical music. The scholarships will be awarded to 12 students for two years at the post graduate level.
"This is the first time that the scholarship has been introduced in order to encourage youngsters to take up classical music," Ashutosh Ghorpade, director, state ministry of cultural affairs, said in a statement.
Of the 12 scholarships, six will be awarded for classical singing and six for those learning classical instruments. Those selected for the scholarship will be given Rs 5,000 per month for two years to pursue higher education in music. Only students with a graduate-level education in classical music will be eligible.
Ghorapde said, "We have kept a tough eligibility criteria for this scholarship as we want candidates who are serious about pursing a career in classical music. We will also give priority to students who really need it and those who come from a poor economical background."
The students must have a graduate degree in classical music from a reputed University with minimum three years education.
Students are required to submit a family income certificate to the ministry in order to apply for this scholarship. The candidates will have to write a test and experts will scrutinize their eligibility, Ghorpade said. The ministry will accept applications till May 31.