Online registration for scholarships
SHILLONG: UDP legislator Jemino Mawthoh on Wednesday raised serious concerns over online registration of scholarship applications, a new system recently introduced by the Government and which has caused a lot of confusion among students.
“The main reason for this confusion among students is because of the lack of a support system on the part of the Higher and Technical Education Department to explain to the students technicalities of this new system,” Mawthoh said during the Question Hour.
Observing that not every student was computer literate, Mawthoh said, “There is a great difficulty among the students to understand this new system. Therefore, I am of the view that the old system should also continue till such time that the students are familiarized with the new system.”
Mawthoh also questioned whether the new system was fool proof.
The Nongthymmai legislator also expressed concern over the decision to ask the students to obtain an affidavit from a lawyer as proof of parents’ income. “This is an added burden for the students,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge Education department, R.C. Laloo informed that the Department has put in place a help desk to guide the students during the online application process.
Laloo informed that a scholarship cell has been set up at the main National Informatics Centre (NIC) and similar facilities have also been put up in the various District Informatics Centres (DICs).
He, further, informed that arrangements for internet facilities have been made in the various Block Development Offices (BDOs) and 325 Community Service Centres (CSCs) to help the students in the rural villages in online registration of scholarship.
The Deputy Chief Minister informed that a total number of 68,076 students had submitted their scholarship forms in 2013-2014 while adding that in the current year (2014-2015), a total of 60,000 students had submitted their applications so far.
“We still have few more days since the last date for the online registration is November 30,” he said.
On the issue of asking for affidavits as a proof of parents’ income certificate, Laloo said that the Department was only following the guidelines of the Centre.
“We are all aware that the scholarship which is provided to the students is a Central scheme,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
He further said that the Centre had changed the guidelines since there were huge anomalies over the way incomes of the parents were being declared in the State.
“As per the criteria, the annual income of the parents should not exceed Rs.2.5 lakh,” he said.
Govt may legalise wine making in State: CM
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Wednesday informed the House that the State Government cannot declare wine making in the State as a cottage industry in view of the amendment of the Macro Small and Medium Enterprise Act, 2006.
“With this amendment, the cottage industry status has been done away with and a unit may fall under small, micro and medium category depending on the investment in plant and machinery,” Sangma said during the Question hour in the Assembly here on Wednesday.
He, however, informed that the Government was examining a proposal to legalize wine mining in the State.
“The only procedure to legalize wine making is that licenses will be issued by the Excise department,” the Chief Minister said.
Earlier, UDP legislator Paul Lyngdoh had pointed out that a vibrant group of fruit growers under the umbrella of Meghalaya Association of Wine Makers has been pushing for legalization of wine making for the past many years.
“I hope the Government will give due consideration to this matter which is long overdue,” Lyngdoh said.