Governor seeks comprehensive report on SC scholarship for students
The Hindu
Writes to CM about pending dues that has students dropping out of college
Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Thursday sought a comprehensive report from the Punjab government on the issue surrounding several students from the Scheduled Caste (SC) category dropping out of college owing to non-disbursal of scholarship. “If it is correct, it would be a most reprehensible violation of constitutional rights of SC students and grave injustice to them,” the governor wrote in his letter to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Mr. Purohit’s letter was issued a day after National Commission for Scheduled Castes sought a response from the government on the issue by July 27. It’s chairperson Vijay Sampla said that the Punjab government had not paid the scholarship amount even after the Central government had cleared its dues under the scholarship scheme. This had resulted in over two lakh students from the SC category dropping out of college. He also pointed out that while close to three lakh SC students had benefitted from the scholarship scheme in 2017, that number had dwindled to 1-1.25 lakh in 2020.
It may be noted that Mr. Mann announced an inquiry into the irregularities in the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme on July 13. Stating that the exercise will ascertain every lapse and embezzlement of public money under the scheme, he declared that these discrepancies are an intolerable crime against the weaker and underprivileged strata of society. Severe action will be taken against anyone found involved, he added.
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi founder and Chidambaram M.P., Thol. Thirumavalavan, on Friday recalled the arduous journey of steering the party through the transition from being a radical organisation whose slogan was ‘Adanga Maru, Aththu Meeru, Thimiri Ezhu, Thiruppi Adi’ (Don’t bow down, disobey, rise up and hit back) to become an important cog in the wheel of electoral politics in Tamil Nadu today as VCK, with four MLAs and two MPs, is set to be recognised by the Election Commission of India as a ‘state party’.
Amid strike by some Loco Pilots, Railways is trying to ensure undisrupted service: Palakkad Division
The Palakkad Division of Southern Railway on Friday, said it was making all efforts to keep trains running in time amid a section of Loco Pilots continuing to strike from work with a demand for a 46-hour periodical rest.