Centre to double number of Fulbright scholarships

Seeking to broaden bilateral education linkages between India and the United States, the government on Thursday decided to double the number of scholarships awarded under the Fulbright educational exchange programme.
    
A meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave its approval to the revised draft agreement between the two countries and also change the nomenclature of the Fulbright Scholarship to 'Fulbright Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships and Grants'.
    
The agreement provides for the creation of the US India Educational Foundation awarding such scholarships, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told media-persons

after the meeting.

Dasmunshi said initially about 240 students from India and a similar number from the US would be sponsored annually under the programme. India and the US have envisaged bilateral education initiatives at the people-to-people level and this agreement will be a landmark initiative, the minister said.
    
The programme was also intended to complement and supplement bilateral initiatives in agriculture, clean energy, climate change, science and technology and global issues of common concern.