The Central Board of Secondary Education would provide scholarships to meritorious girl students studying in classes XI and XII.

The scholarship amount of Rs 500 a month would be paid to a student who is the only child of her parents and has secured more than 60 per cent marks/6.2 CGPA (cumulative grade point average) in Class X board examination.

Besides, the board would provide the scholarship to students whose monthly tuition fee is not more than Rs 1,500 per month.

“The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) believes in promoting education among girls. Keeping in mind the efforts of parents of a girl child to educate their only daughter, it has been decided that the students will be provided with scholarships. All girl students of classes XI or XII in a CBSE-affiliated school are eligible for the scheme,” a CBSE official posted in the board’s Delhi office said.

The last date for submission of application forms is October 31.

The scholarship is meant for class XI and XII students and the duration of the scholarship cannot exceed two years.

The board’s decision has, however, not gone down well with students whose tuition fee is over Rs 1,500 a month.

Shreya Singh, a Class XI student of a CBSE-affiliated school, said: “If the CBSE has to provide scholarships, it should consider us too. Students like us are encouraged when we are rewarded for performing well.”

Another student Rashmi of Class XII studying in another CBSE-affiliated school echoed similar sentiments. She said: “The CBSE should have thought of this and given the opportunity to students like us too. I have secured more than 8 CGPA, which is much more than 6.2. Doesn’t CBSE feel that I too deserve the merit scholarship? If this had been done, I would have been encouraged to perform even better in the future.”

The renewal of the scholarship would depend on the marks, which the student scores in Class XI. The girl has to secure 50 per cent aggregate.

A school principal on the condition of anonymity said: “The CBSE should have ensured that the merit scholarships should have been given to all meritorious students since they too worked hard to get good results in the board examination. If this had been done, the students would have felt motivated and worked even harder.”