Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 9: The Union Government will be convening an Inter Ministerial Committee (IMC) meeting soon to resolve the issues of Jammu and Kashmir students so that they are not forced to discontinue their studies for want of scholarship money.
An official handout issued by KS Dhatwalia, Additional Director General (M&C) Home and mailed to the Excelsior said that letters have been issued by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) to these institutes stating that the studies of these students should not be discontinued for want of scholarship money.
“The Government decided to act after it received more than 200 grievances during the past 10 days, relating mainly to non-disbursement of scholarship through telephone in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and additional 50 complaints through email,” the handout said.
During the past one week, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has personally been involved in hearing and resolving the grievances of students of Jammu & Kashmir studying in various Universities outside the State.
A section of about 9,000 students from Jammu and Kashmir, recipients of Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme, had voiced concerns over delay in release of their scholarships because of incomplete forms and admissions in institutes which were un-recognized. Apprehensions have been raised over relaxation of norms and maintaining standard of education in different institutes, the handout said.
It said Rajnath Singh had during his recent August 25 visit to Srinagar announced that the Ministry of Home Affairs, headed by him, will nominate a Nodal Officer to address the grievances of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Subsequently, Dr Sanjay Roy, Director (Kashmir Division) was nominated as the Nodal Officer, to whom grievances can be reported 24×7 on the Phone Nos. 011-23092923, 011-23092885 & email dirmjk-mha@nic.in, the MHA handout said.
The Nodal Officer has personally acknowledged the receipt of grievances received on email which has been forwarded to Ministry of Human Resource Development and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for action and resolving at the earliest.
The handout said that the students are facing problems in about 10-12 universities / colleges including Mewar University and Gyan Vihar University, Rajasthan.
A group of about 30 students from Rajasthan and Haryana on a call from Union Home Minister had met him and the Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar on September 7 last.
A meeting was arranged with the AICTE chairman on September 8 for verification and confirmation of the issues faced by the students, the handout said.
After meeting him yesterday, these students expressed sincere gratitude and said they were fully satisfied with the approach adopted by the Central Government.
They thanked the Union Home Minister and also the HRD Ministry and AICTE for their thoughtful gesture in resolving their problems, it added.
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