The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has asked technical institutes that denied admission to students from Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) across the country to ensure they accept eligible candidates or be ready to face action.
Under the scheme, the Central government offers the scholarship to 5,000 Kashmiri students to enable them to pursue higher education in professional, general, and medical streams outside their state.
The regulatory body for higher education has been given the task of implementing the award of scholarships to candidates from the restive state.
“Unfortunately, a number of instances have been brought to our notice not only by the candidates themselves but also from other quarters, including government departments, that quite a number of the colleges have refused admission on flimsy grounds such as non-awareness of the scheme, seats not being available in the college, outright refusal for unknown reasons, etc,” AICTE vice-chairperson MP Punia said in a letter to the technical institutes on August 23.
“To say the least, this attitude of such colleges smacks of callous attitude towards the government of India sponsored scheme but also towards a matter of national importance,” he wrote.
The Union human resource development ministry and AICTE have asked all the principal secretaries of states and directors of technical education to issue clear advisories to institutes and colleges falling under the purview of AICTE, University Grants Commission, and Indian Nursing Council to grant admission to eligible Kashmiri students.
The process of allotment of seats in various institutions, shortlisted from across the country to provide admission to Kashmiri candidates, for this academic year has been completed.
The multi-crore scheme has also been in the news for benefitting far fewer students than the specified number of students.
There have been instances of students being allotted bogus colleges, and all-women institutions being earmarked for male students. On other occasions, the allotted colleges did not take the provisional admission letter seriously – instead of asking the students to deposit the fee in advance.
Last years, students of Jaipur-based Suresh Gyan Vihar University complained that the scholarship money meant for was not released despite an assurance from Union home minister Rajnath Singh.
Launched in 2011 following the previous year’s unrest in the state, the annual monetary support comes up to Rs 90,000 for hostel fees, Rs 10,000 for incidentals and stationery, and anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 3 lakh for the tuition fee.
[“source=hindustantimes”]
