Una, December 5: Chief Minister Thakur Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has a clear vision that no child in Himachal Pradesh should be deprived of higher education due to financial reasons. To this end, the state government has launched the Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Student Loan Scheme.
Launched in 2023, this scheme is a sure guarantee of trust for those young people who aspire to achieve great heights in education through hard work and dedication, but are hindered by financial constraints. Under the scheme, the Himachal government is providing education loans up to ?20 lakh at a mere 1% interest rate. This loan can be spent on tuition fees, food, accommodation, and other educational needs for higher education.

**Expansion of income limit for eligibility**
According to Anil Kumar, Deputy Director of the Higher Education Department in Una, at the time of the scheme's launch, the annual income limit for beneficiary families was set at ?4 lakh. Now, it has been increased to ?12 lakh. This will allow more students to benefit from the scheme.
Anil Kumar says that the state government's goal is to ensure that Himachal's children receive quality education and excel in the fields of knowledge, skills, and research. The Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar Student Loan Scheme is a very effective initiative in this regard.

**Here are the eligibility and application procedures**
To benefit from this scheme, applicants must be residents of Himachal Pradesh and have at least 60 percent marks in the previous class. The scheme covers courses such as medical, pharmacy, nursing, law, ITI, polytechnic, and PhD programs in universities. The age limit is 28 years.
The application process is completely digital and transparent. Documents are verified and approved within two working days of submission. If the student has chosen the corpus fund option, the first installment of the loan is transferred to the student's institution's bank account within 24 hours.
DC Jatin Lal said that the district administration, through the Education Department, is committed to the effective operation of this scheme and timely delivery of benefits to the beneficiaries, in accordance with the vision of Chief Minister Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.