Minority students in Maharashtra want scholarships

The Islamic Students Organisation took to the streets to protest against the non-transfer of money, which they are supposed to receive under the minority scholarship scheme. College students flocked to Azad Maidan in an attempt to highlight the government officials’ apathy. 

“The State Government has taken absolutely no efforts to popularise the scholarship since it was declared two years ago,” said Mirza Kamran, secretary of the ISO. 

In the first year, there were only 25,000 applications. Since last year, the applications have doubled. But the colleges did not disburse the money to the minority students, using the funds to meet their own interests, it is alleged.

The Social Welfare department issued notices and declared that they will disperse the money directly to the students’ bank accounts, which has not been done yet. 

“The scholarship amount for the year 2009-10, under the graduation scholarship scheme of the central government, has not been transferred to the accounts of the students or to the colleges,” said Kamran.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs of the Government of India had sanctioned 64,400 post-metric scholarships for the state of Maharashtra for the academic year 2009-10.

The state government selected 24,064 students for these scholarships. The minister for minority affairs, Arif Naseem Khan told DNA that he has not received any complaints. “We have received no communication or complaints directly as of now. We will initiate immediate severe action if we know the students have been deprived,” said Khan.

A delegation met the secretary for higher education who assured ISO that they will discuss the matter in the meeting on Monday, when the officials are to meet.