Disbursal of post-matric scholarships for students from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category is reportedly getting delayed in Kerala in the wake of the changes introduced in its eligibility criteria.
According to functionaries of the Ambedkar Progressive Democratic Forum, the revised scholarship scheme was launched by the Union government in March 2021. The Kerala government notified the changes in January 2023.
Shaju V. Joseph, general secretary of the forum, points out that only those whose annual family income is up to ₹2.5 lakh are eligible for the scholarship now. “The principle of creamy layer has been made applicable to the educational assistance for the SCs. If this is going to be rigorously applied, a vast majority of students belonging to the category aspiring for higher education will be out of the ambit of e-grants or scholarships,” Mr. Joseph claims.
Practical problems
Before the 2021-22 academic year, the fees for students from SC, ST, and the Other Eligible Communities were remitted by the government directly to the educational institutions. As per the latest provisions, the fees are directly paid to the student’s bank account. The student should withdraw the fee and remit it to the respective educational institution. The academic allowances (lump sum grant, monthly stipend or monthly pocket money) also reach the bank account. Mr. Joseph says that though this arrangement appears to be simple, the students are facing practical problems in its implementation.
Another feature of the scheme is the cost-sharing between the Union and the State governments in the proportion of 60:40. “But the catch is that only after the Government of Kerala remits its share to the bank accounts of the students, the Union government makes its remittance. When the Government of Kerala fails, which happens always, to remit the full amount of its share on time, the remittance of the Union government will get delayed,” Mr. Joseph says. Those who do not receive the scholarship are not able to pay their fees on time. They are prevented them from appearing in exams. Such students drop out of the courses, Mr. Joseph says.
Met by State govt.
Activists point out that the those belonging to the SC category have been able to make some modest progress in their social life only because of their educational achievements. These new provisions could suddenly arrest that too, they say. “The entire educational assistance to the SC students hailing from families with an annual income of over ₹2.5 lakh is met by the State government out of its funds. The State is not getting any matching grant from the Union government for this,” Mr. Joseph says.
