Education department fails to provide scholarships
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, May 27 2012:
The department of Education (S), government of Manipur has failed to provide scholarships to deserving eligible students as per the guidelines of Ministry of Human Resource Development, All Manipur Students Union (AMSU) has charged.
Addressing media persons at its head office, Romen Leisangthem, Human Resource Development Secretary of AMSU, said that the National Means cum Merit scholarships sponsored by Ministry of Human Resource Development, which is meant to be given out to students of class IX to XII of Manipur has still not been handed to worthy students.
The scholarship amounting to Rs 500 per month is to be distributed to the students who have cleared the scholarship exam conducted by the Education (S) department.
202 students, who cleared the scholarship exam conducted in November 2009 and another 164 students, who cleared the exam in 2010 batch have not yet been given their scholarships till today.
Moreover, only 8 students out of 249 selected were given scholarship for the year 2008, Romen contended.
The student leader pointed that that the department had earlier come out with a clarification saying that the scholarships for the year 2009 and 2010 have not been dispersed to the selected students as they have not opened their bank accounts in SBI and that it was not possible to open accounts for the students without any opening balance.
However, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Government of India has clearly stated that students can open accounts in the SBI with no initial balance.
As such the Department of Education (S) has acted against the guidelines of the Ministry of HRD and held back the scholarship amount of the students, Romen alleged.
Furthermore, the student leader pointed out that the report of the selected students for the year 2011 has still not been handed over to the HRD Ministry.
Drawing the attention of the Chief Minister and the Education Minister to look into the matter and do the needful in the interest of the students, AMSU has also threatened to launch agitation along with the public if the if the scholarships are not handed to the students at the earliest.