HASAN ABDAL, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Interior Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said National Endowment Scholarships for Talent (NEST) would be gradually increased from the existing Rs 5.2 to Rs 25 billion to support merit-based studies.
While addressing a scholarship award ceremony in Hasan Abdal, the minister said the programme was launched on the pattern of Punjab Education Endowment Fund under which 150,000 students were getting scholarship.
The minister said a major programme launched by the present government is US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor, which would produce 10,000 Ph.Ds. He said the programme was initiated to afford opportunity to students to pursue higher and research based education in quality institutions of the United States.
The interior minister said one million laptops had been distributed among students under Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme purely on merit.
Ahsan Iqbal said the government launched various projects of higher education. He said Universities campus were being established in every district to meet future challenges.
The minister said they started 10,000 Ph.D. scholarship program, adding 10,000 students would complete their Ph.D. in next 10 years.
