VARANASI: Banaras Hindu University will soon institute a scholarship to be awarded to a meritorious student of MBBS first year belonging to economically weaker background. Dr. Ramesh Chandra Gupta, an alumni and Former Professor and Head of the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at IT-BHU (now IIT-BHU), has donated a sum of Rs. Five lakh to his alma mater. He handed over the cheque of the donation to Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain. The donation, under the Pratidana scheme, has been made to start Dr. Bhoj Raj Varma & Smt. Shanti Varma Memorial Scholarship after close relatives of Dr. Gupta. As part of the scholarship, the beneficiary student will receive Rs. 25,000. Banaras Hindu University launched the Pratidana scheme in order to galvanize support from alumni, well-wishers and friends of BHU for the growth and development of the institution. The initiative is aimed at making more resources available for students, strengthening research facilities and improving teaching-learning ecosystem.