Chennai: Tamil Nadu Adi Dravida and the Tribal Department of Welfare have reduced budget allocation for this year’s post matriculation scholarship scheme by Rs 48 Crore.
Based on this scheme, scholarships are given to caste (SC) students scheduled, which pursues medicine, engineering, art and science, polytechnic, MBA, and other professional courses.
The authority connects the reduction of funds to drop the application and registration of SC / ST in higher education institutions.
This decline began in 2017 – year where the government tweaked the PMS scheme guidelines.
Until then, scholarships were given to all SC / SC students in government, assisted and self-financing institutions.
But in 2017, students, acknowledged in private institutions under the quota of management, it was declared not eligible to accept the number of scholarships based on this scheme.
Since then, the number of PMS recipients has decreased in stages.
In 2016-17, a total of 7.9 students of Lakh SC benefited under the scheme.
Last year, it was 6.1 lakh, which was 20% less.
Explain the rationality behind the tweaky policy, a senior official Adi Dravida welfare said that for example a technical student, who was accepted through government counseling, got Rs 50,000 as a scholarship.
While his colleague, who was received under the management quota by printing lower signs, received more than Rs 85,000.
“So, it is a government policy decision to keep the management quota students out of the scheme,” the official said, requested anonymity.
Refusing this explanation, M Baratan Movement of the Centenary Ambedkar Kalivi said that there were a number of engineering seats offered through counseling for 35,000 to 40,000 SC / ST applicants every year.
So, students, who want to pursue their choice or new courses such as robotic or artificial intelligence, are left without other choices but to be accepted under the management quota.
Responding to the cost of cost disparity, subbiah, former Secretary of Chief Kerala, said that the management quota fee was determined by the Government Committee.
So, this means that the government has accepted it and cannot quote it as an excuse to deny scholarships.