DTF demands restoration of minority scholarship : The Tribune India

Tribune News Service

Amritsar 9 January

Members of the district unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, Punjab, lodged a protest against the Centre’s suspension of scholarships for students belonging to minorities studying in schools from Class I to VIII.

They sent a request to the Central Government through the District Commissioner for the restoration and maintenance of the stipend.

According to a recent notice, the government’s pre-matric scholarship to students of minority communities will no longer apply to students from Class I to VIII, and only be continued for students of Class IX and Class X starting from 2022-23. Union Ministry of Minority Affairs manages the scholarship.

Ashwani Ashwani, head of District DTF Unit, said that from 2022-23, students of Class I through VIII who belong to minorities will not be entitled to the same stipend. “The decision will deprive students of schooling. Apart from that, no mention is made of awarding scholarships to students under the 2020 education policy, which is an agenda for privatizing education and removing it from the reach of the common people. This has created a risk of further backwardness of the already backward classes in the education sector,” said Awasthi.

DTF sent a demand note to the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Minority Affairs, asking for special student stipends for students of Scheduled castes and backward classes, Class I to II general category students from economically poorer students. This was to make it easier to apply for stipend and to reinstate the self-declaration form challan, which will replace income and caste certificates, so these students can easily get education.

Leaders from the DTF stated that along with this, a demand note would also be sent the Punjab Government. Through which they raised the demands of students receiving free bicycles and uniforms for their classes from Pre-primary to Class VIII.