Bengaluru: The state government had launched the Vidyasiri programme with the specific objective of extending financial assistance to poor students to pursue their education, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

He was addressing the gathering after releasing the book ‘IAS dampathiya kanasugalu’, penned by IAS officer Shalini Rajaneesh in Bengaluru on Friday.

The programme was organised by the Backward Classes Welfare department, which had also arranged for a training programme for IAS aspirants from backward communities.

Siddaramaiah said that a majority of the students, especially those from the backward communities were deprived of equal opportunities. He recounted his own experiences as a student, and why, despite his best efforts, he could not do well academically.  “I had to motivate myself to study, as my parents weren’t too keen on my education.

There were instances where I was forced to go to parks to study. I completed BSc under these circumstances. And despite my best efforts, I couldn’t take up MSc. Also, I never had any guidance. In fact, I would have been satisfied with a clerical job. It is because of these experiences that I was keen on launching a scholarship programme like Vidyasiri,” he added.

He said that as many as 75,000 students had benefited from Vidyasiri this year, under which they are paid Rs 1,500 per month.