Tura MP picks holes in scholarship process, seeks immediate reforms

SHILLONG, Nov 26: Tura MP Saleng A Sangma on Tuesday raised concerns over persistent scholarship-related issues in Meghalaya and provided a slew of suggestions to streamline the process for the students.
Saleng, who is also a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, revealed that the issue has been raised in the committee and the Director and Joint Director from the Union Ministry of Social Welfare have been asked to address these problems at the state level. “However, the issues remain unresolved,” Saleng said.
The MP then proposed several measures to alleviate the challenges faced by students while applying for scholarships, including a simplified application process, decentralised issuance of income certificates and awareness campaigns.
According to him, deadlines for scholarship applications should be eliminated, and digital support systems must be established to assist students.
Saleng also advocated for decentralisation of the income certificate issuance process, allowing traditional heads and elected representatives to resume their earlier role in issuing these certificates.
“I have received a lot of calls from students struggling with the scholarship process. In response, I have written to the Union Minister to address this matter. The current system creates a gap between authorities and students, making it difficult for students to access Block Development Officers (BDOs) or other officials,” he said, while questioning the rationale behind requiring students to file affidavits for income tax, especially for those from rural areas, who cannot afford legal assistance.
Saleng warned that if these issues are not resolved soon, the constraints will continue to burden students.
It may be mentioned that on Monday, the Directorate of Higher & Technical Education (DHTE) informed that it has disbursed a total of Rs 108.83 crore under the Umbrella Scheme of Post Matric Scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year.
The funds include Rs 98.08 crore from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs as the Central Share, and Rs 10.89 crore contributed by the Meghalaya government as the State Share.
A total of 49,628 students have already received their scholarships in two instalments, the DHTE had said.