Scholarship Delay: DHE, Students’ bodies meet give mixed signals

Morung Express News
Kohima | November 28

NUSU Lumami, Mereima and SASRD, Medziphema along with Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) had a meeting with the Directorate of Higher Education (DHE) here at its conference hall on November 27.  

The meeting, held to deliberate the issue of scholarship delay, however remains inconclusive. While the DHE claimed that both parties arrived at an “understanding” on the issue of scholarship after all necessary clarifications were made, a student body attending the meeting said it was pessimistic about the outcome.

  In the meeting, the Director of Higher Education, Kuholi Chishi asserted that “the suspicion of misuse of the money should be removed from your minds,” the release from the directorate said. She assured that “the money meant for the students will be for students alone and can never be channeled elsewhere for any other purpose.”  

We are accountable to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, she added.  

The Director also regretted that Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF) and Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union (ENCSU) could not make it to the meeting despite being invited.  

In response to queries raised by the students’ bodies, the directorate officials clarified that the department received Rs. 13.44 crore from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, GoI under 90% Central share and Rs. 1.49 crore (One crore forty nine lakhs and thirty three thousand) from the State government under 10% State share for payment of first installment of Post Matric Scholarship for the year 2016-17, the release said.  

The rest of the amount, i.e., second installment, they said, will be credited to the students’ accounts once the Ministry of Tribal Affairs releases the money.  

The meeting also revealed that the total number of beneficiaries for Post Matric Scholarship is 44,084 students and the amounts due to them were all deposited into their respective accounts. However, due to some error with the accounts of the beneficiaries, some scholarships could not be deposited by the banks, resulting in bouncing of a total of 1143 banker cheques to the directorate, it was informed.  

It was further clarified that for the first installment all the students are paid an amount of Rs. 3388 per student without any category.  

The students’ bodies were requested to wait for the SIT report, the directorate release informed.   However, a press release from NUSU Lumami HQ president, K. Chumseli said the response of the department was “dismally negative, and is not likely to get this time.”  

“The Director’s justifications were unsatisfactory, blaming procedural process in delaying in the file movement and swearing that they are not to be blamed,” NUSU added.  

The Union further stated it will wait for the report of Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe into the alleged misuse of students’ scholarship till November 30.  

If the SIT does not get ‘desired result’ by then the, Union will take own course of action, it said.