Hundreds of students who secured admission under the initiative of Eastern Naga Students Union Dimapur (ENSUD) Education Initiative Committee and studying in various colleges across India have expressed fear that they might suffer the same fate like the 150 students who, in 2015, were unceremoniously kicked out of their college on account of non-payment of scholarship by the Nagaland Government.
On Monday students studying in various colleges and Universities of Mewar, Divya Jyoti College, Adhunik College, International Group of Institution and Mewar Girls College along with parents held a join meeting with ENSUD at Dimapur town hall and deliberated on the issue.
At the meeting, ENSUD stated that on July 6, 2016 they (ENSUD) submitted a memorandum to the state chief minister to release the full scholarship under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India for the year 2014-2016.
ENSUD informed it requested the CM to respond on or before July 9, 2016, to which the CM assured to reply within ten days. However, ENSUD rued the CM haven’t responded to their memo yet- days after expiration of the ten-day period.
They lamented that ST Students from Nagaland were yet to receive the full amount whereas ST students from other states in the same colleges and universities have received their full scholarship.
Student representative from Mewar University, T. Thomas Konyak, said during their meeting with the officials of Ministry of Tribal Affairs GoI, the officials had held the state government responsible for not showing interest in the matter unlike the other states and remarked that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs was willing to assist if the state government shows interest.
Handing out a copy of the release of central assistance to state government of Nagaland towards full and final instalment of projected expenditure for the year 2015-16 (scheme of Post-Matric Scholarship to ST students) by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs GOI, wherein an amount of Rs.26,46,34,161 to the state government of Nagaland was released on February 4, 2016, the officials questioned as to why the state government was taking time to release the scholarship when five months have passed by.
They also questioned the State Level Committee set up which has yet to come up with any findings or reports.
With no concrete response from the State government, the students concluded that they are liable to agitate against the state government.
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