Japan approves fund for Dalit scholarships

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, June 3:

The government of Japan has recently approved utilisation of a counterpart fund of Rs 50 million for implementation of Dalit scholarship project for Primary School Children in the Disadvantaged Districts. As agreed between the government of Japan and Nepal, the latter will use the counterpart fund for scholarships for about 200,000 Dalit children of primary school level in 38 districts, said a statement issued by the embassy of Japan here today.

The support is targeted to cover 36 per cent of Dalit children of the districts with the lowest poverty index. The government has to utilise the non-project grant within a year whereas the counterpart fund generated by the grant has to be deposited. The districts being benefitted include nine districts of Eastern Region, seven from Western Region, 10 from Mid-Western and six in the Far-Western Development Region.