B- Scholarships
B/1-Summary
1. Illustrations of dithering grants.
ü Due to organized scam nearly 2.38 lakh students did not get pre-matric and post matric scholarships from 2009-10 to 2016-17.
ü No budget was released during the financial years 2018-19, 19-20 & 20-21 and 50677 students did not get pre matric scholarships during those years. Similarly, due to deficient grants 5316 students did not get post matric scholarship during these years.
ü No budget was released for post matric scholarship in 2021-22. Liabilities were cleared during 2022-23.
ü During financial year 2022-23 Pre matric scholarships were not released to 19691 eligible students and to 22804 post matric eligible students.
ü No post matric scholarships have been provided in Govt medical Colleges for the last seven years.
ü The rate of scholarships are parochial-ranging from 625 to 7000 for day scholars and 1875 to 13500 to hostelers per annum in post matric scholarship scheme for SC students, for example.
l Inescapable ramification of such predicament is drop outs.
2. The appeal
l Scholarship Schemes for SC/ST/OBC may be recast and made need based. Scholarships should come to the rescue of deprived at the time of admissions and periodically thereafter.
l Schemes may be rationalized- also to cater to boarding/lodging needs - and to keep pace with sustained upsurge in cost of education-particularly professional and technical.
l Scope of scholarships may be extended to studies in designated overseas Institutions. Some States have such succoring measures.
l Students whose scholarships were not paid may be compensated for disadvantage and loss of opportunities.
- B/2 Details
SCHOLARSHIPS
(Based on the information obtained for base year 2022 under the RTI Act)
Background
Implementation of scholarship schemes has been full of uncertainties and deficiencies. The State has been implementing various scholarship schemes with overlapping eligibilities. Among them following are exclusively for weaker sections:
· ‘Pre-matric scholarships scheme for the students belonging to SC and others.
· Post- matric scholarships scheme for the students belonging to SC.
· ‘Pre-matric scholarships scheme for the students belonging to ST.
· Post- matric scholarships scheme for the students belonging to ST.
· ‘Pre-matric-PM YASASVI scholarships scheme for the students belonging to EBC, OBC, DNT.
· Post-matric- PM YASASVI scholarships scheme for the students belonging to EBC, OBC, DNT.
Ø Objective of these schemes is to improve enrollment ratio of disadvantaged children, minimize the incidence of drop outs and impart quality education.
Ø These are centrally sponsored schemes with budget sharing pattern of 90:10 of Central and State Government except post matric scheme of SC wherein the funding pattern is 60:40.
Ø These schemes are available for all courses in Government as well as private institutions.
Parochial policy framework
l These scholarship schemes mainly provide financial assistance to match compulsory non refundable fees like tuition fees, admission fees, examination fees, registration fees, IT fees etc of the students and in case of hostelers maintenance allowance, additionally. They do not take into consideration other charges like boarding/lodging, development fees, library fees, building funds and the like. Barring exceptions, rates of scholarships range from Rs 625/- to 7000/- for day scholars and 1875/- to 13500/- for hostelers per annum depending upon classes and courses of the beneficiaries. Other scholarship schemes mainly for technical and professional courses may be have better financial concerns than the above schemes. But they are still parochial and wanting.
l Many States provide realistic financial back up for educating the deprived and downtrodden from State Budgets. For example, Karnataka, Punjab, Telangana provide assistance upto one crore, twenty five lacs and twenty lacs respectively, for overseas study of each such student. But Himachal, where more than 50% population belong to SC, ST & OBC combine, has distinction of not releasing in time, even 10% State share against the centrally sponsored schemes. There are instances where it was not released at all. It may be mentioned that funds for scholarships are released from Scheduled Castes Sub Plan/ Tribal Area Sub Plan (now SC/ST Development Programs).
Disarrayed Deliverance
Unrivalled rip offs: There was organized fix of unparallel magnitude from the year 2009-10 to 2016-17 where approximately two hundred and fifty crores of scholarship money was siphoned out and grabbed by private Institutions and Universities in and outside the State. The scam was busted in the year 2018 by the whistle blowers and first FIR was filed on 16.11.2018. The case was then handed over to the CBI and second FIR was filed by the CBI on 19.05.2019.
Vulnerable sinned without sinning: It remains to be seen as to what happens to poaching case. But there is other aspect of the gimmick which has been completely ignored. Nearly 2.38 lakh boys and girls in whose names the scholarship amounts have been drawn by the scammers did not get the money- neither will they be eligible for such concessions in future. Therefore it is loss of opportunities for them. No thought has been given as to how they should be compensated. Such deprivation is sinning without sin.
Strategy sans need: Scholarships should come to the rescue of deprived at the time of admissions and periodically thereafter. But financial assistance is delivered at the fag end of the year or after the completion of academic sessions. There are “Freeship Cards” inbuilt in the scholarships schemes. “Freeship Card” means card issued by the State Government that entitles a student eligible for scholarship to take admission in an institution without pre-payment of tuition fee and hostel fee. But this scheme is not put into operation. Albeit, this is also deficient to cater to the periodical needs of the deprived students.
Hard times: Post rip offs period also saw difficult time to a large number of SC students because of deficiency in implementation of Pre-matric and Post-matric scholarship schemes for the students belonging to SC and others. Following Illustrations of deficiency and deprivation shall suffice to vindicate this fragmentary script:
· Financial year 2018-19:
ü No budget was allocated by the State Government for pre-matric scholarship scheme and therefore no central assistance was released. Consequently 24058 eligible students did not get scholarship.
ü 1962 eligible students did not get post matric scholarship.
· Financial year 2019-20:
ü No budget was allocated by the State Government for pre-matric scholarship scheme and therefore no central assistance was released. Consequently 20436 eligible students did not get scholarship.
ü 2228 eligible students did not get post matric scholarship.
· Financial year 2020-21:
ü No budget was allocated by the State Government for pre-matric scholarship scheme. 6183 eligible students did not get scholarship.
ü 1126 eligible students did not get post matric scholarship.
· Financial year 2021-22:
ü No budget was allocated by the State Government for post-matric scholarship scheme. Liabilities cleared from the budget of 2022-23.
· Financial year 2022-23:
ü Scholarship not released to 19691 eligible students of pre-matric stage and to 22804 of post matric courses till March 2023.
· Financial year 2024-25 (Feb, 2025):
ü Scholarships are yet to be disbursed.
Ø No scholarship was provided to the students of professional courses in the medical colleges from 2016-17 to 2021-22 (period of our study).
Ø Hostelers are being provided Pre-matric scholarships only at the rate what is available for day scholars.
Ø Pre-matric scholarships have not been extended to private institutions.
v There is pattern in aberration.
v There are instances of unfair play by some private institutions-no serious lessons have been learnt from numero uno scam.
In conclusion
Such troubles and errors in the Scholarship front definitely affect enrollment ratio of disadvantaged children, enhances the incidence of drop outs and hinders impart quality education of students belonging t vulnerable classes. Though we have not come across any independent study on implication of erratic scholarships on dropouts, inter alia, in Himachal; however, status of dropouts of students belonging to weaker sections from Central Universities, IITs & IIMs for the last five years are as follows:
| Institutions | SC | ST | BC | Total |
| Central Universities | 2424 | 2622 | 4596 | 9642 |
| Indian Institutes of Technology | 1068 | 408 | 2066 | 3542 |
| Indian Institutes of Management | 188 | 91 | 163 | 442 |
| Grand total | 3680 | 3121 | 6825 | 13626 |
Independent study shows that poverty and lack of sustained financial back up largely contribute to such dropouts.
Continuing enigma
l It is time that scholarship schemes are revamped and strategy for their administration recast.
l SC, ST & OBC students of Himachal have potential to dominate the national scene provided their aspiration levels are raised by sustained systemic push.
l Outstanding students of these categories should be adopted as students of State and provided free education in best institutions under the sun.
VINAY Mehta
The article reveals the real game plan of ruling establishments. There has been consistence efforts to deny Constitutional rights of the depressed and deprived . It is time that these classes of society wake up, unite and agitate to secure their rights. Our thanks to Sh. P S Draik for his sustained struggle for rights of these classes.