Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme took off well as the students could explore career-oriented education outside Jammu & Kashmir. Unfortunately, this scheme is now gasping for breath due to bureaucrats' callous attitude
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti had in February, raised in Parliament the problems faced by students on account of poor implementation of the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme For Students Belonging To Jammu And Kashmir State. Despite her intervention, the Union Government and its agencies such as the University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education have not taken the matter seriously.
Various MPs of Jammu & Kashmir too have raised this matter in Parliament, but to no avail. The issue has been in a limbo, despite the BJP leading the Government at the Centre and being a partner in the ruling alliance in the State.
When the UPA Government was in power, it took five years to make a decision, enabling the poor students of Jammu & Kashmir to move out of the State for better education, training and employment opportunities.
Finally, it was decided in 2011, that at least 5,000 students would be sent out of the State for higher education every year. The students were given the liberty to choose their courses, institutes/colleges under the scheme. The Ministry of Human Resource Development was to bear all expenses for education as well as living costs.
The Union Government allocated a sum of Rs1,200 crore to the MHRD for this purpose. The MHRD formed an inter-ministerial committee to monitor the working of this scheme, and the scheme was handed over to the AICTE.
The objective of the scheme was clear: Send the students out of the State for higher education and bring them into the national mainstream. This scheme was a golden opportunity for the students as they could explore career-oriented education and training in other States.
The scheme had a promising start and did well for the first two to three years. The AICTE was the nodal agency for implementing this scheme. However, as it usually happens with most of Government schemes, this one too became a victim of bureaucratic manipulations.
Till 2013-2014 academic year, students were allowed to take admission in institutions of their choice under. But for 2014-2015 academic year, the AICTE, departing from its earlier practice, sought to force the students to take admission in certain institutions that it had identified.
As a result, in 2014-2015, AICTE provided scholarships to only 250 students and the remaining 4,750 seats were vacant. Also, in 2014-2015, only 75 per cent of the students received their scholarship. The remaining 25 per cent of the students are facing a tough situation. The institutions where they are studying are demanding that they pay their fees, which the poor students are unable to afford. They were depending on their scholarship fund but that is yet to come through.
Moreover, due to the complex procedure put in place by the MHRD, UGC and AICTE, very few students of Jammu & Kashmir have been able to even register for this scheme. There are reportedly also plans to end this programme from the next session, as the NDA Government does not intend to continue with this scheme.
Most of the students who benefitted from this scheme are from poor, rural backgrounds. Many were raised in remote areas. The scheme also encouraged many girl students to participate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that he wants to provide girls a special place in our society. This is evident from many of his actions and programmes. However, it is ironical that the scholarship scheme for Jammu & Kashmir students, which has the potential to provide many better opportunities to girl students especially, is now gasping for breath. This is primarily due to the callous attitudes of bureaucrats who are administering the scheme.
In the meantime, many of these students, who have already been placed in different institutes under this scheme, are now reluctant to continue their education. They feel bad that they are unable to pay for their tuition fees or living costs.
Over the last two years, some of the institutes have tried to help the students by taking care of their academic and living costs. However, since these schools are in the private sector, the Government seems reluctant to assist them.
In the absence of the educational opportunities provided by this scholarship scheme, some frustrated youths might disembark from the path of nationalism and follow in the footsteps of their misguided counterparts. This is a matter of grave concern for the nation and must be addressed at the earliest.
(The writer is deputy director of research at Mewar University, Rajasthan)