Fund allocation for SC/ST students dipped in 2017-18

MUMBAI: Despite constant demands made by research scholars from the reserved categories for an increase in their scholarship funds, data from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs reveals that the budget allocated to pre-matric and postmatric scholarships reduced drastically in academic year 2017-18. For instance, in Maharashtra, ₹220.92 crore was sanctioned for scholarships in the year 2016-17, which dipped to ₹108.84 core in 2017-18.

The ministry has allocated ₹152.38 crore for the current academic year, but students have been demanding the timely disbursement of the scholarship funds. “The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has proposed to increase the pre-matric scholarship amount to ₹225 per day from ₹150 per day to those who don’t stay in hostel, and ₹525 per day for those staying in hostel from ₹350 per day,” said a senior official from the ministry.

Scholars also said the funds are not allocated at par with their expenses. A statement released by IIT students said that research scholars have to pay a semester fee of ₹17,000 and mess fee of ₹27,000. “Making a lump-sum payment of ₹44,000 every semester often becomes difficult for many students, especially when the fellowship amount is minimal and paid irregularly,” said an Iit-bombay (IIT-B) student.

“There are instances when the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) fellows didn’t receive fellowships for six to 12 months. On the other hand, scholars availing the institute’s fellowships don’t receive house rent allowance (HRA), while married scholars

have to wait endlessly for separate hostel facilities,” said another IIT-B student.

For the past one year, research scholars from premier institutes like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have been writing to various authorities, carrying out silent protests and agitations demanding for scholarship funds at par with their expenses as well as for their quick disbursal. But it has not borne any fruits for them.

According to the data released by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST), the department received around 843 complaints from students across the country about their grievances on scholarships and other issues. However, less than 9% (75) of them were resolved. Maharashtra also witnessed a dismal response from the commission in resolving cases. Until July 2018, students from Maharashtra had filed 117 complaints, of which only eight were resolved.

“By the time the government addresses our complaints, we graduate. We need a better system so that the departments concerned can solve students’ problem at the earliest,” said a TISS student.