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| MHRD concedes to JK High Court verdict | | To release scholarships for all students admitted under PMSS | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 1: In a significant development the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has conceded to the interim order of the J&K High Court which had directed the said Ministry to release the scholarships in favour of all those left-out students from J&K admitted under PMs Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) in academic session 2012 as well as in 2013.
As per details the Government of India through MHRD has asked All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) which is the nodal agency for the implementation of PM's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) to cover all those Kashmiri students who have taken admission in different colleges across the country in time for session 2012-13 but were denied scholarship due to certain technicalities, like late online registration. Government has also accepted to grant the benefit to those students who have erroneously mentioned their admission in management quota but actually taken it in general quota. The students who may have taken the admission actually in management quota before publication of guidelines excluding such students from PMSSS will also get the scholarship. Another important decision taken by MHRD is to grant one time exemption to the students of session 2013-2014 also in respect of grant of scholarships to only five students per college has been reviewed. The JK High Court interim order had directed the MHRD and AICTE to allow the students to persue their course irrespective of bunching condition.
The decision was conveyed to Member of Parliament G.N. Ratanpuri who is also a member of Parliamentary consultative committee for MHRD, by the Chairman of AICTE Dr S S Mantha. The AICTE has been asked to finalise all the scholarships for 2013-14 and left over cases of 2012-2013 within a couple of weeks to unburden the students and their families from the continuous uncertainty.
Pertinent to mention that J&K High Court had earlier directed the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to release the scholarship in favour of as many as 59 students from different colleges across India, where the students from J&K state are undergoing various technical / career based degree courses under PM's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS).
While hearing a petition of students Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir has directed that " Position of the petitioners in perusing the academic courses as well as release of scholarship, as is in vogue, shall not be disturbed". M A Rathore Advocate for the petitioners pleaded before the court that small technical lapses on part of the students in recording the date of admission or quoting admission under management quota deserve to be overlooked as deprivation of the students from the scholarship would defeat the very essence and object of the scheme. It may be recalled that around 600 students from J&K state had been declared not eligible by MHRD and AICTE on merely small technical lapses as a result of which the authorities of concerned colleges had either pulled the students out or where intermittently harassed. The order of the High Court has provided a sigh of relief not only to the young buds but also their parents and civil society at large .
The order of the High Court envisages that henceforth such students can no longer be harassed by the respective college managements as in that case they shall have to explain their conduct before the court.
While talking to Early Times chairman of J&K People’s Forum Syed Nassarullah Shah said that the rule of law has prevailed as non bunching mechanism had no legal or moral footing as the same was aimed at to create class among the class and promote inter student jealousy. He expressed gratitude for the rightful and wise decision of the Prime Minister and other members of Inter Ministerial council which came to the rescue of thousands of J&K students aspiring for the scholarship under PMSSS. He also lauded the decision to cover leftover students of 2012 -13 for granting them the scholarship.
Meanwhile, the reliable sources at MHRD disclosed that an extraordinary meeting was convened in the HRD Ministry to re-consider the release of scholarships for the leftover students for the session 21012-13 in the wake of the court order. The court order, in the opinion of legal experts has paved way for release of scholarships to the leftover 600 students admitted in the academic session 2012-13. He appealed to the students to exercise discipline and concentrate on studies.
Due to non inclusion of students under PMSSS many students were forced to the different professional courses mid way as many college authorities did not allow them to continue with their studies in their colleges. But there are many colleges who still provide education to the students from J&K inspite of the fact that they have not received their scholarship money from MHRD. The Minister for HRD Dr Pallam Raju and his Deputy Dr Shashi Tharoor have on several occasions assured that this matter would be sorted out and all the dropout students would be provided the scholarships.
The Prime Minister on the recommendations of Rangarajan committee report initiated a free educational scheme called "Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme for J&K Students (PMSSS) which made a scope for 5000 students every year to receive professional and career based education outside the J&K State at the cost of Government of India. In academic session 2011 only 38 students are said to have availed of the scholarship benefits under this scheme due to lack of awareness from Government. The total number of students having sought admission in session 2012 in Medical, Engineering and other undergraduate courses was 5008 as per the statement of MoS Ministry of HRD Shashi Tharoor on the floor of Rajya Sabha on Feb 28, 2013 while replying the question raised by G N Ratanpuri. "The Minister had assured the house that the funds would be disbursed to colleges by 31st of March but it took such a long time because the AICTE could not complete the inspection of all the colleges to access whether all the students are physically present in the college or not. The AICTE already held a "Sunwai "on May 4, 2013 at various regional offices regarding this matter and the students from various colleges who are registered under PMSS Scheme presented their respective documents before the AICTE officials who reviewed them in order to ensure that they are the genuine candidates hailing from J&K. |
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