Denial of scholarship to SC students stirs row

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 13

Denial of post-matric scholarship to Scheduled Caste (PMS-SC) students in government and private educational institutions has stirred a controversy in the area.

Alleging that colleges were forcing them to pay admission and tuition fee, SC students have launched a protest.

While the managements of colleges claimed that they had not received any communication from the Higher Education Department to not charge the fee, the students alleged that it was against the directions of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

As per the ministry’s rule, no college can charge any tuition fee from any SC student whose parents/guardians’ income from all sources does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh per annum.

On July 11, in a letter to the Department of Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Punjab, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment wrote that the institutions concerned might verify the eligibility criteria of SC students for award of PMC-SC scholarship and extend the date of depositing the fee for such SC students till the scholarship amount is transferred into their accounts. The fee is paid jointly by the Union and state government.

If required, the institution may take an assurance from such students that they will deposit the fee as soon as they receive it in their account.

No eligible SC students be deprived of admission due the admission and tuition fee, wrote Deep Mehra, Director, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Hardeep Kaur Kotla, the zonal president of the Punjab Students’ Union (PSU), said colleges in Faridkot and Kotkapura were giving admission to SC students after they deposited Rs 7,000 to 8,000 as admission fee.

Satnam Singh, principal of Government Brijindra College in Faridkot, said colleges had received no instructions from the Higher Education Department about admitting students without fee.

Alleging a multi-crore scam in PMS, Minister for Technical Education Charanjit Singh Channi said the scholarship payment to the institutions would be made after completion of a special audit of the PMS.

He said the audit of all educational institutions of the state with regard to the PMS Scheme for SC or OBC students from 2011-12 to 2016-17 was being carried out.

The initial findings of the audit have detected a scam of huge volume wherein many institutions misused the public exchequer by showing enrolment of bogus students to pocket PMS funds, in connivance with some government officials, said the minister.

However, SC/BC Welfare Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said the provision of charging fee from the students was discouraging economically backward SC students from pursuing higher studies.

“I am going to write to the Centre for bringing appropriate changes in the policy. From where will poor students pay the initial fee?” the minister asked.