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In J&K, Centre's scholarship scheme produces much heartburn

The UPA government with much fanfare announced 5,000 scholarships every year, to encourage students to study outside Kashmir in different technical and educational institutions across the country, so they would see and experience the softer face of India and return with happy experiences.

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Following the 2010 street protests in Kashmir, that claimed over 100 young lives, the Central government came out with an innovative idea to integrate restless youth with the rest of the country. The UPA government with much fanfare announced 5,000 scholarships every year, to encourage students to study outside Kashmir in different technical and educational institutions across the country, so they would see and experience the softer face of India and return with happy experiences. But six years down the line, dna has found the scheme has not only failed to achieve the desired results, but has even worked negatively.

Farhad Shakeel Wani completed his Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) from a management institute in Ballabhgarh on the outskirts of Delhi. He had left his home at Phulwama near Srinagar hoping for a better future in India.

A year-and-a-half after the completion of his course at the Sheela Devi Institute of Management and Technology, the institution from where he passed out continues to hold back his degree. He now helps his father in the fields to support his family of eight.

Wani was one of the several beneficiaries of the Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir providing scholarships to the marginalised community. "Our Class 10 and Class 12 marksheets and certificates are with the college. We cannot even apply for jobs that are open for Class 10 or 12 pass outs, nor can we take fresh admission in a graduation course," he says.

Wani says that there are 22 more boys from his batch who are facing the same fate. Most of them have picked up odd jobs in and around their hometown. They are now feeling cheated by the Indian government.

These boys were admitted under the scholarship scheme. But the scholarship amount never reached their bank accounts and they could not pay the fees. Wani now regrets taking admission under the scholarship. "Had we done our graduation from our district college, at least there would have been a degree to show. But the Indian government took that away from us," he says, with no hesitation of exhibiting a degree of anti-India sentiment.

The scheme that was to create a bond between Kashmiris and non-Kashmiri students has done more harm than good. "The fact that there are 50 cases against colleges and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in Jammu and Kashmir High Court is an indication of how the scheme has not worked for the state," said Malik Imtiyaz, social activist and chairman of the People's Forum. The Forum is now fighting for the rights of these displaced students.

While Wani has gone back to his village after losing even those certificates that he had acquired before coming to Delhi, the vicious circle continues for other Kashmiri youth.

A group of Kashmiri boys studying at Noida International University work at call centres or departmental stores to pay for their hostel fees."We have requested our college to allow us to continue with the academics. We have been allowed to attend classes, but we have to pay for our accommodation and food," said a third year student, who did not want to be named. With his father having a small piece of land to till and an annual income of less than a lakh, he now has arrange for Rs 8,000 every month to pay for his expenses.

The Kashmiri boys have been constantly pursuing their case with AICTE. Their fear is that like their older batchmates, they will also not have any degrees to show two years down the line.

Taking note of the harassment faced by these students, the evaluation report prepared by National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA) observes, "The scholarship amount along with incidental charges was not received by the students for several successive years. In the
event of delay in scholarships, students had to regularly visit the AICTE office and they were also threatened by the college authorities in the form of imposing fines and not allowing them to sit for exams which amounted to mental harassment."

The AICTE however says that the scholarship amount is released within six months of applying and that the students who are being denied scholarships are those who have been duped by the local agents in the state and are not eligible.

"Students who have been duped by agents are facing trouble. These students do not have clearances from AICTE and so there is no scholarship for them," said Professor Pradeep Kumar, Chairman Delhi College of Technology and Management. Kumar is also the president of association of self-financed private institutions in Haryana.

Explaining the modus operandi of the agents, Kumar said that soon after the announcement of the scheme in 2012-13, agents approached students promising them admission in certain colleges. They took away the school certificates from these students. However when the students could not make it through the cut offs of the promised college, they were pushed to those institutions which do not find enough takers. These lesser known colleges, who do not even have adequate infrastructure, admitted students hoping that scholarship amount will reach them in due course of time.

Taking note of these malpractices by the colleges, NUEPA's evaluation report has recommended that instead of listing all the approved institutions, AICTE should allot only 'A ' grade institutions having course-specific infrastructure and hostel facilities to students.

AICTE officials also agree that there had been initial flaws in disbursing this scholarship. "In the first two years, students went on to take admission in colleges and applied for the scholarship later. The number of applicants went much above 5,000 and many did not meet the AICTE guidelines. AICTE could not award them scholarships," said an AICTE officer.

The decision to rope in NGOs and consultants to promote the scheme in rural area has also backfired for the Centre. "While applying for admission in colleges they had to pay a good amount of money to NGOs and middlemen. Some of the students complained that wrong institutions were mentioned in the AICTE web
portal against their names and also that their original certificate/documents were not being given back by college authorities," observes NUEPA's report.

Now with another Rs1,200 crore awarded for the scheme this year, AICTE is involving state education board and Central Board of Secondary Education to promote the scheme. "The two boards will create an awareness about the scheme and AICTE will conduct its counselling in Srinagar and Jammu, to grant admission. The student must know that there is no other route," explained the officer.

To make the system transparent, AICTE is switching to online mode. However NEUPA's report has been critical of the online system since those residing in rural areas and not having access to the internet will be left out yet again.

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