Nagaland ST students protest demanding release of scholarship funds

Kohima: The Scheduled Tribes students of Nagaland pursuing different courses in various colleges and universities outside Nagaland today staged a sit-in-protest at the State Civil Secretariat demanding release of their full scholarship for 2015-16 by the state government.
On behalf of the aggrieved 329 Naga students, T Thomas Konyak said the state government was yet to release their full scholarship for the last academic session, because of which they were unable to clear the fees of the institutions where they study as most of them were financially weak.
These students were to receive Post-Matriculation Scholarship Scheme (PMSS) of the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which was released by the Centre, but was allegedly pending with the state government. “Admission for the new session has commenced, but because of the non-release of pending scholarship, students are unable to clear fees of the last session and are getting delayed for the new admission,” Thomas said.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved students submitted a memorandum to the Directors of Higher Education and Technical Education Departments requesting the government to bail them out of the critical situation.
The Post Graduate students who were also affected by non-payment of the scholarship were unable to receive their pass certificates and mark-sheets, Thomas alleged.
Expressing that students from other states were enjoying the Centre’s PMSS implemented through the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the students demanded that the same facility should be made available for students in Nagaland. (PTI)