The State Government has decided to distribute the ‘Education cum Scholarship Card’ to all the students of tribal, Scheduled Caste and tribes studying in higher education institutions in the tribal dominated Bastar region, an official statement issued here on Wednesday revealed.
The scheme would cover Government, Non Government Higher Secondary schools. Primary schools, colleges, universities, engineering colleges, medical college, ITI and Polytechnic colleges. ‘ The students would be able to avail ‘Post Matric’ scholarship through usage of the card.
The Government had directed the heads of various educational institutions in the region not to charge any fee for the issuance of the card. The Government had also clarified that all ‘Online approval of scholarship’ is also free of charge.
The entire process of distribution and approval of ‘Post Matric’ scholarship to the students from Scheduled Caste, Tribes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) had been made Online since 2012-13, stated Commissioner Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development M S Paraste.
All the district officials had already been supplied sufficient number of ‘Education cum Scholarship’ cards as per the demands raised by them, he said.
In another matter, Assistant Commissioner, Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Tarkeshwar Devangan said that there are constant complaints being received at the Department headquarters in the State that the students are not being given the ‘Education cum Scholarship’ card despite they signing on the ‘Know Your Client’ (KYC) report. There are also complaints being received that some of the schools are charging between Rs 100 to 200 for the ‘Education cum Scholarship Cards, he said.
It had been categorically told to the heads of educational institutions and the ‘facilitators’ that it is completely wrong to charge any fee or demand any fee for the cards from the students, Devangan added.