The agreement to this effect was signed by the managing director and editor-in-chief of the Lokmat group, Rajendra Darda, and the managing trustee of the MAET, Fatma Zakaria, at a function held here.

According to the agreement, the Lokmat Group, which runs three dailies, Dainik Lokmat, Lokmat Times and Lokmat Samachar, has agreed to offer theoretical education and practical training in different disciplines of journalism. The Lokmat group will also provide on-the-spot training in different departments of newspaper production.

Rajendra Darda announced that the group would select five out of BJ students and three out of MJ students, who would be awarded the Jawaharlal Darda fellowships of Rs 1,000 per month. These students would be provided intensive training in the Lokmat group of newspapers atAurangabad and would be involved in the day-to-day production of the newspapers, he said.

Besides, Darda also declared two prizes of Rs 2,500 each to be known as the Jawaharlal Darda Excellence Awards to be given to the best male and female student on the basis of merit in the university examination, each year, in the BJ degree examination.