Under Project Eklavya, an initiative to fund the education of deserving, but underprivileged undergraduate students of NLUs with an aim to uplift them, the Confederation of Alumni for National Law Universities (CAN Foundation) has awarded & disbursed scholarships to 61 undergraduate students from 15 NLUs across the nation. The aggregate amount of scholarships awarded this year under two categories of scholars i.e. “Extreme Hardships” and “Hardships with Exceptional Merits” is INR 51 Lakhs. With this disbursement, the amount of scholarship thus stands to be the first of its own kind in the country covering all NLU’s by a Non-Government Organisation without any public sector support.
Eklavya 2023 received a record breaking 90+ Applications from 20+ NLUs, which were subjected to a robust Two-Tier Selection Procedure, wherein applications were strictly scrutinised by Selection Committees comprising distinguished legal professionals. A carefully nominated Tier-1 Scrutiny Committee shortlisted the candidates, post which a 3-Member High-Powered Selection Committee reviewed and finalised the applications.
Prominent young members of the legal fraternity with a minimum of 12 to 15 years of experience at the Bar were part of the Tier-1 Scrutiny Committee. It consisted of: Advocates-on-Records, Mr. Amalpushp Shroti, Mr. B. Raghunath, Ms. Pragati Neekhra, Mr. T. Singhdev, Mr. K. Parmeshwar, Mr. Mrigank Prabhakar, Mr. J. Sai Deepak and Registrar of IAMC, Hyderabad Mr. Tariq Khan.
The 3-Member High-Powered Selection Committee (HPSC) for Eklavya 2023 this year was headed by Mr. Justice L. Nageswara Rao. It also comprised Ms. Pallavi Shroff, Managing Partner, SAM & Co. and Mr. Ritin Rai, Sr. Advocate.
After carefully deliberating on several applications and the quantum of assistance to be provided to the applicants, the scholars entitled to receive scholarship were categorised into 2 classes of cases by the HPSC:
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Category A: Cases of ‘Extreme Hardship’
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Category B: Cases of ‘Hardships with Exceptional Merit’
Category A: Extreme Hardship
The Scrutiny Committee coined a merit-cum-hardship criteria to recommend meritorious deserving candidates undergoing acute financial distress. The candidates whose annual cumulative family income was below Rs. 2 lakhs were shortlisted under this category. This category involves scholars who have suffered gravely as a consequence of precarious financial positions. Such scholars are also categorised by the loss of a parent(s) or in the event that parent(s) are undergoing some serious medical treatments or financial hardships. These Candidates have managed their education till now by taking out loans or have tapped into limited family savings, thus putting them at high risk.
Category B: Hardship with Exceptional Merit
The candidates whose annual cumulative family income was above Rs. 2 lakhs but below Rs. 8 lakhs were shortlisted under this category. These candidates have insufficient family income to sustain their education and face other hindrances in pursuing their education.
Thus, after shortlisting by the Scrutiny Committee the HSPC recommended 61 candidates in total from both categories, who have been accorded scholarships under Eklavya 2023.
On the successful conclusion of Eklavya, 2023, Siddharth R. Gupta, CEO, CAN Foundation, “As we embark on another promising year at Eklavya, we reflect on the profound impact our scholarship program has had on countless students nationwide. This benchmark of 51 Lakhs could have never been possible without the trust and confidence reposed by Senior members of the Bar, as also former Judges from the Bench, who came forward generously to fund the education of scholars in such large numbers. With the help of Seniors & elders, we continue to dismantle financial barriers, paving the way for aspiring minds to soar unhindered towards their dreams. Our vision transcends boundaries, resonating with students far and wide, propelling them towards greatness with every opportunity we offer. At CAN, we relentlessly pursue and constantly march towards our goal of ensuring that every student’s aspirations and talent meets its due recognition, serving as the catalyst for their pursuit of excellence in their chosen endeavours”
