By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The KSU has urged the Central Government not to grant minority scholarships to students belonging to Bengali and Nepali communities living in the State, saying they are not recognised as minorities. In a memorandum sent to Union Minister of Minority Affairs Salman Khursheed, the KSU said certain communities like Bengali and Nepali are not minority communities and so their appeal to grant minority status in order to derive benefits in terms of scholarship and minority status of their institutions should be rejected.
“The minority communities recognised by the Central Government are Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and they enjoy the privilege of being minorities in terms of scholarships,” the KSU said.
The student body also demanded for a hike in the amount of scholarships like Merit-cum-Means Scholarship, Post Matric Scholarship and Pre Matric Scholarship besides Tribal Scholarship for permanent residents of the State.
The Central scholarships for minority students were introduced around five years ago.