New norms make it hard to get scholarship: Students
MUMBAI:
Applying for various scholarships has become a hassle ever since the state
government launched a new website in August to disburse scholarship money, said
students.
Those
seeking scholarships through the new portal — www.mahadbt.gov.in — are required
to provide the details of their Aadhaar cards, Aadhaarlinked SIM card, income
and domicile certificates.
The
portal was launched to facilitate Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism to
distribute funds.
The
state decided to transfer money allotted for the 43 scholarship schemes — 12
pre-matric, 31 post-matric — directly into the bank accounts of the
beneficiaries, instead of handing it over to educational institutes. But the
students complained that the new formalities have made it difficult to secure
scholarships.
“Earlier,
the state would accept birth certificate and income affidavit while applying
for scholarship. Now, the students have been directed, on a very short notice,
to furnish domicile certificates and income certificates. The students now have
to make rounds of tehsildar office and Aadhaar centres,” said Amir Nurle, head
of zonal scholarship cell, Students Islamic Organisation of India.
VK
Gautam, principal secretary, state information technology department, said, “If
one doesn’t want to verify his identity through thumb impression, then s/he
will have to opt for OTP sent to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar card,”
he said.
Priyadarshi
Telang, convenor, Dalit Adivasi Adhikar Andolan, a Pune-based organisation,
said that the new requirements were not necessary and adds to the students’
burdens.
“The
mobile number is merely required for one time password (OTP) method of
verification. But if students have already linked their Aadhaar cards with bank
accounts, there is no need for additional verification. Besides, in India,
people constantly change their mobile numbers,” he said.
Telang
also said that many students in remote areas don’t even have Aadhaar cards,
making it impossible for them to avail education assistance.
“The
government should apply some logic before implementing a policy,” he said.
The
mandatory linking of Aadhaar card to various welfare schemes has become a
contentious issue, with the Supreme Court hearing a petition challenging the
validity of this policy.
Source
| Hindustan Times | 10th October 2017
Regards
Pralhad Jadhav
Senior Manager @ Knowledge
Repository
Khaitan & Co
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