Streamlining scholarships

Prime Minister’s third monthly video conference under Pro Active Governance and Timely Implementation (PAGATI) initiative has provided a rare opportunity to the head of the State bureaucracy to place before him various bottlenecks in smooth distribution and benefit-drawing process of scholarships provided under Prime Minister’s Special Scholarships Scheme (PMSSS). Various studies conducted by different teams in the spread of militancy in Kashmir pointed at the rising unemployment of educated youth and the hurdles in the path of competent but financially handicapped students to pursue higher studies or find entrance in professional institutes.  Most of these studies focused on supporting backward and debilitated segments of students of the State in their pursuit of higher and specialized studies.
In 2010, an Expert Group was constituted under PMSSS and designed to provide 5000 scholarships to J&K youth every year for pursuing higher education opportunities in colleges/institutions outside J&K.  Of these, 4500 scholarships are for general degree courses, 250 for Engineering and 250 for Medical courses. The scheme covers cost of tuition, hostel fee, cost of books and other incidental charges. In the first year of implementation of the scheme viz. 2012-13, around 3520 students had availed PMSSS which drastically dropped to 246 against the target of 5000 per annum.
The fact is that there have been flaws in implementation of this scheme in its spirit in our State. Various complaints and difficulties have cropped up which need to be addressed. It appears that the Chief Secretary has made a mention of the difficulties to the Prime Minister who has suggested some remedial measures. However, a complaint has come from various segments of civil society that there is lot of bungling in the selection of students eligible for grant of scholarships under the PMSSS. Nepotism, favouritism and undue support from influential persons in political and bureaucratic establishment have brought defamation to the cadres. Many deserving students have been denied their right. Apart from this, a major problem is that owing to ignorance, many students from the State have sought admission in institutions outside the state that are not recognized either by the UGC or by the Education Department of the concerned State. The students have come to know of it after spending a good time of six months or one year and at the end of the day their career has been blocked. Thirdly, some institutions to which students from the State have been admitted have very complicated system of disbursement of scholarship. More often than not, disbursement takes a long time and the institutions do not wait. In many cases the institutions have cancelled admission putting the student to serious embarrassment.
It appears that the Prime Minister has reacted very favourably to the difficulties of the students and has issued instructions to the functionaries at his office to clear these difficulties that are peculiar to the students of our state. In regard to status of institutions, PM’s instructions are that the Department of Higher Education should share with J&K Government immediately the list of all Colleges approved under 12B of UGC Act, or recognized by AICTE so that aspiring students can know in advance about the UGC certified colleges, their fee structure etc and not get into trouble latter as has been the case. PM also directed the Union Higher Education Secretary to communicate to the J&K Chief Secretary and also Joint Secretary in the PMO all the details of the students who are pursuing higher education under the PMSSS in various colleges outside J&K and the status of scholarships disbursed to them.   Prime Minister has ordered that Counselling takes place at both Srinagar and Jammu for the benefit of the students besides asking him to ensure that all students getting benefitted under the scheme are provided Aadhar Cards. Most importantly, the Prime Minister has ordered constituting Inter Ministerial Committee which will take several initiatives to address complaints with regard to the scheme.  To address the complaints of inordinate delay in scholarship, the scheme has been brought under the DBT for disbursing scholarships directly into the bank accounts.
These progressive initiatives should be good enough to address the complaints and grievances of the students from Jammu and Kashmir pursuing their higher education outside the State and deriving the benefit of Prime Minister’s scheme for scholarships. However, it has also to be said that it is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that their wards do not indulge in irresponsible and anti-national activities which are bound to land them in trouble. They should not carry their domestic conflicts to the institutions which have nothing to do with that part of their life.