CAN Foundation announces 5th Edition of Project Eklavya to support undergrad students in NLUs

The Confederation of Alumni for National Law Universities (CAN) Foundation has announced the 5th Edition of Project Eklavya to support undergraduate students in National Law Universities.

Project Eklavya aims to facilitate access to higher education for deserving but underprivileged law students pursuing an undergraduate course through the provision of an annual scholarship.

In the academic session of 2022-23, a total of 51 students were granted scholarships amounting to approximately INR 47 Lakhs under the Fourth Edition of the Project. From 2019 to 2022, the Foundation has awarded over INR 1.35 Crores in scholarships. In 2021, the disbursal was INR 40 Lakhs to 45 Students. Under Eklavya 2020, the Foundation distributed a scholarship support of INR 25 Lakhs to 30 Scholars.

The selection process for Project Eklavya follows a rigorous two-tiered approach, aimed at identifying the most deserving candidates. In the first tier, renowned legal professionals scrutinise the applications received and shortlist the candidates who fulfil the minimum eligibility criteria. After this, a  High-Powered Selection Committee assesses the financial requirements and academic merit of the shortlisted candidates, which culminates in the final selection of the scholars. This meticulous approach ensures that the most deserving students receive this financial assistance.

The High-Powered Selection Committee for Eklavya 2022 was headed by Hon'ble Justice AK Sikri (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India) as its Chairperson and consists of Hon'ble Justice Gita Mittal (Former Chief Justice, Jammu and Kashmir High Court) and Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao (Senior Advocate, High Court of Delhi) as its members.

The High-Powered Selection Committee for Eklavya 2023 will be headed by Hon’ble Justice L. Nageswara Rao (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India). It is an honour and a matter of pride for the Foundation to have him on board with us, in order to guide us through this humble initiative.

Ms. Srishti Chaturvedi, Secretary, CAN Foundation, stated on behalf of the Foundation,

“Our aim is to make legal education accessible to everyone. The Foundation has been striving to work towards it since our humble beginnings in 2021, and with the support of our respected patrons and donors, our reach, both in terms of the number of Eklavya Scholars and the Scholarship amount, has increased every year. In Eklavya 2022, this generosity helped us disburse a total scholarship amount of INR 47 Lakhs and for Eklavya 2023, we are targeting an amount of at least INR 51 Lakhs. Being a part of this Project for some years, I can confidently state that our Eklavya Scholars are highly meritorious despite the extreme financial adversities, and it fills us with pride to see so many of them excelling in their initial steps in the legal profession already. We urge the legal fraternity to kindly contribute to our cause and help us achieve our vision of Accessible Legal Education.”

Eligibility Criteria:

For applying under Project Eklavya 2023, the Student must:

1. Be enrolled in any undergraduate degree of any National Law University;

2. Be currently in second year or above;

3. Have secured a minimum of 65% aggregate/average marks in the last three semesters (or the last two semesters for students currently in their 2nd Year);

4. Have an Annual Cumulative Family Income (Inclusive of father, mother, unmarried brother or sister) that does not exceed INR 8 Lakhs per year, including the current financial year.

How to Apply:

The Application form with the instructions can be accessed at the official website of the CAN Foundation at https://www.canfoundation.in/project-eklavya.

The deadline for sending the duly filled applications is  12th August, 2023.

Since its establishment in 2019, the CAN Foundation has made significant strides towards its mission of fostering a sense of community within the National Law Universities and promoting legal awareness and education.

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