Ex-CJI turned MP Ranjan Gogoi uses salary and allowances for scholarships to poor students

NEW DELHI: Former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has decided to utilise the salary and allowances as a nominated Rajya Sabha MP to provide financial help to needy and meritorious students from Assam pursuing graduation in law within and outside the state colleges.
"The scholarship to local students pursuing their graduation in law in colleges of Assam is Rs 40,000. The students from Assam pursuing the same course outside the state or in National Law Schools anywhere in the country would be provided with a financial assistance of Rs 75,000 a year," Gogoi said and wished to expand the scholarship scheme to legal assistance for poor litigants as well as "to take up public spirited causes".
For the academic year 2022-23, as many as 27 students have been selected for receiving the scholarship. Of them, 19 students are pursuing law in different towns of Assam and six studying outside the state. At the request of CAN Foundation, Gogoi has agreed to extend the scholarship to two more students chosen by the Foundation without diluting the "needy and meritorious" criteria.
Gogoi said the selection panel headed by former CJI SA Bobde chose students for the scholarship-cum-financial assistance from among those whose parents had a cumulative annual income of Rd 1 lakh or less. "The performance or ability to perform (of a first year student) in academics has also been considered by the selection panel, which included two central government secretary level officers, on the basis of inputs received from the institutions where the students are studying.