Our Correspondent Kohima | June 21 The Semoma Students Welfare Board Trust (SSWBT) in collaboration with Sir Dorabji Tata Trust today gave stipend and scholarship package to 80 students from different parts of the State. The package sponsored by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust carried an amount of Rs. 9,500 for each student. Nagaland’s governor PB Acharya distributed the same in a glittering function held here at Durbar Hall, Raj Bhavan. Acharya congratulated both SSWBT and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust for coming up with such step to help the students carry forward their academic career. He stressed on the need to focus on skill development, adding that degree alone will not work and bring positive result. He also emphasized on the need to put a concerted effort to make Nagaland state a “Golden Nagaland.” SSWBT secretary Kuolachalie Seyie said that SSWBT was formed in January 2000 at Khonoma in Kohima district to promote elementary education to the deserving students in rural areas, especially girl child who gets pressured to work at home or in the field rather than studies due to economic circumstances. SSWBT strongly believes that the holistic growth and development of a society begins from its elementary education. As such, SSWBT has been granting stipend and scholarship to about 38 to 43 students each year for the last 15 years from its own contribution, which covers all their admission and tuition fees, till it got the sponsorship from Sir Dorabji Tata Trust in 2016. SSWBT also occasionally gives free tuition to the elementary students during the crucial months each year in the village and carry out community services in the village. Seyie said through Niketu Iralu, a renowned social activist from Nagaland, and senior journalists Neerja Choudhary and Rupa Chinai of Mumbai, SSWBT collaborated with the Tata Trusts. “Today, the Tata Trusts is fully sponsoring this distribution of stipend and scholarship as well as sponsoring a girl’s hostel called ‘Rural Area Girl Students Hostel’ in Kohima, for a term of 3 years with effect from 2016,” said Seyie. The hostel houses 33 girl students. Students are given 50% subsidy; within which they are offered free tuition in Hindi, mathematics and science, medicines and medical services, modern amenities, occasional exposure trips within Nagaland and games and sports. Seyie said that Tata contributes 80% of their net profit to charities and community development.
