Students meet DC, demand release of scholarship funds

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 17

A group of students belonging to Scheduled Castes are awaiting their degrees and detailed mark sheets as Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) has refused to provide these. The reason is delay in release of funds under Post-Matric Scholarship scheme for Scheduled Castes (SCs) students. The PMS scheme is a Central scheme to provide financial assistance to SC students.

The varsity had issued an order stating that students would not be provided with their degrees and DMCs until the dues were cleared. Students are demanding immediate release of funds. Under the banner of Phule Ambedkar Student Association, students met Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shivdular Singh Dhillon late Wednesday evening and submitted a memorandum to the DC over the issue. Prince, president of the association, said: “The order was passed two months back and since then, we have been running from pillar to post. The delay in release of funds is costing us heavily. The university is not providing us DMCs or degrees. We need these documents to upload it onto a portal to avail benefits of the scholarship.”

Jagdish, another student, said: “There are only 1,100 students in the university suffering because of the issue.”

Last year, too, there was a delay in the release of funds by the government which had troubled the students. SS Behal Singh, dean (academic affairs) of GNDU, could not be reached despite attempts.