As much as ₹ 15,785.36 cr worth scholarships were sanctioned under Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, Merit-cum-Means and Begum Hazrat Mahal scholarship programmes, said the Minority Affairs Ministry on March 31, 2022.

Congress MP Dean Kuriakose asked Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi about funds sanctioned and disbursed under the four schemes, one of which is implemented by Maulana Azad Education Foundation. In response, the Ministry provided state-wise figures of aggregate funds sanctioned from 2014-15 to 2021-22.

Over the years, Uttar Pradesh received the highest sanctions at a total of ₹2,610.33 cr. The lowest sanctions were for Arunachal Pradesh at ₹ 0.03 cr in total. In a separate answer to Congress MP Mohammad Jawed and VCK MP Ravikumar D. the Ministry said that the total expenditure on Scholarships sanctioned to Muslim beneficiaries under Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means based scholarship scheme during 2018-19 to 2020-21 was ₹ 4,796.64 cr.

When Kuraikose asked about government proposals to increase the amount disbursed per student in these programmes, Naqvi said that all aspects including raising the number and amount of scholarships are looked into by the Ministry during scheme revision.

Similarly, regarding proposals to increase allocation as per the higher Gross Enrolment Rates achieved by states, he said, “The budget allocation for educational empowerment of minority communities which was ₹ 1,888.50 cr in 2013-14 has been increased to ₹ 2,515 cr in BE 2022-23. The distribution of scholarships among states/UTs is made on the basis of population of minorities in the state/UT as per the Census. It was based on Census 2001 up to 2017-18 and thereafter, it is based on Census 2011.”

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Mr. Chandan Kumar, the Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Dhanbad, Jharkhand has called for the call detail records (CDR), subscriber and last location details of key suspects in the Jharkhand pre-matric scholarship scam.

Advocate Shadab informed SabrangIndia that this scam is spread in almost all parts of India but has been reported first in Jharkhand. An inkling of this fraud first emerged when students of different schools in Jharkhand were being asked to furnish various documents like bank account details, Aadhar, etc. From top level officials in the Government to low ranked officers in Banks and State departments are involved, he remarked.

In a letter dated November 8, 2020 accessed by SabrangIndia, addressed to the Superintendent of Police, Dhanbad, the ADM has listed forty-four mobile numbers that need to be thoroughly investigated for further probe into alleged siphoning off of money meant for minority community students.

One Nilofar Parveen, a suspected agent has mentioned the involvement of the Jharkhand State Minority Commission Chairman Kamaal Khan, Chatra based gang headed by Sadiq, alias Shahid, his brother Tariq, a politician, operators Faizal and Amjad, Sabina, Nazneen, Tausif, Taabish, Irfan Khan and Sohail to the Police.

In addition to the alleged accused, she has also named Pandarpala (Dhanbad) based Raajish Khan and Vijay. According to Indian Express reports, Nilofar Parveen was was given Rs 200 to create a user-ID and password for a school, and that school owners were paid Rs 1,000 per (fake) beneficiary who registered for scholarships.

She has further stated to the investigators that Sabina, Nazneen, Tausif and Taabish used to receive scholarship applications from schools in Dhanbad and Faisal was allegedly involved in paying (by cheque) the Headmaster of schools for bringing in such applications.

Nilofar revealed further that Kamaal Khan used to visit Saadiq and Taariq frequently and they were all aware of the said scam. As a part of this scam, a large number of scholarships for fake beneficiaries were being approved through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), which resulted in the release of huge sums of scholarship money to the wrong people, as per Indian Express reports.

Nilofar further revealed that she was given access to the NSP of a few schools, on which she was directed to generate ‘User Credentials’.

What is the Jharkhand Scholarship Scam?

In several Districts of Jharkhand, a centrally funded scholarship scheme meant for students belonging to minority communities is being allegedly misused by a nexus of middlemen, school owners and government officials. This pre-matric scholarship scheme launched in 2008 is provided to minority community students belonging to families earning below one lakh per year.  

In 2019-20, the Ministry of Minority Affairs disbursed Rs. 61 crores under this scheme, from Rs 1,400 crore nationally, to the State of Jharkhand. The Indian Express informed that the scam was carried out at various levels, right from the verification process of eligible students (scoring 50% and above in exams). The beneficiaries needed to register themselves at the National Scholarship Portal by submitting their Aadhaar number, bank account details and other documents.

The ADM Dhanbad told Times of India, “The gang siphoned off the funds in three ways. In the first method they enrolled fake students by obtaining the User ID’s and passwords by taking school principals or school nodal officers for the scholarship into confidence and got the money transferred into their accounts. In the second method, they got fake user ID’s and passwords on the basis of forged documents into the NSP, without the knowledge of the schools and in connivance of the welfare department officials, and siphoned off the money. In the third method, they got scholarship funds, transferred from the welfare department of Dhanbad in the name of schools located outside Dhanbad.”

Developments in the case so far

Earlier this month, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren ordered an inquiry into the scam and promised to rectify the verification system so that the diversion of funds does not happen again. A week later, on November 8 the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs directed a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the matter.

Apart from government officials, gangs and school owners, the police are also looking into the alleged involvement of bank officers and officials from the welfare department. As per the scheme, students living in school hostels are given Rs.10,000 whereas day scholars are given a scholarship of Rs.7,500.

ADM Kumar has alleged that the majority of the scholarships were withdrawn in the name of students residing in hostels and even for those schools that do not have residential facilities. Most of the bank accounts where the scholarship money has been deposited is not even linked to Aadhar which raised further red flags, he commented.

The District administration of Dhanbad has registered FIR’s against 105 accused based on the findings of the Indian Express and a 59-page report has also been prepared which refers to The Indian Express findings and quotes several suspects including a state level Management Information System (MIS) operator, district welfare staff, and a few politicians.

Related:

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EXCLUSIVE: Decline in Minority Scholarships in all Poll Bound States Except Telangana

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आपके बता दें कि देश की राज्य सरकारें विभिन्न योजनाओं के तहत अनुसूचित जाति के मेधावी छात्रों को मैट्रिक के बाद स्कॉलरशिप देती हैं। इस रकम की भरपाई केंद्र सरकार की सोशल जस्टिस एंड एम्पावरमेंट मिनिस्ट्री की ओर से की जाती है। अनुसूचित जातियों के कल्याण के जुड़ी योजनाओं के लिए यह नोडल मिनिस्ट्री है।

केंद्र सरकार पिछले कुछ समय से अनुसूचित जाति के छात्रों के लिए इस स्कॉलरशिप की रकम को रिअम्बर्स करने में नाकाम रही है और अब बकाया रकम बढ़कर 8,000 करोड़ पहुंच गई है। राज्यों को इस वर्ष के लिए बकाया रकम का अभी तक भुगतान नहीं किया गया है। इसके अलावा पिछले वर्ष की बकाया रकम को चुकाने के लिए अतिरिक्त फंड की जरूरत है।
 
सामाजिक न्याय एवं अधिकारिता मंत्री थावर चंद गहलोत ने इस बाबत इकनॉमिक टाइम्स से बात करते हुए कहा, 'हम इस समस्या को सुलझाने की कोशिश कर रहे हैं। सिस्टम में सुधार के लिए राज्यों से बात की जा रही है। उन्हें डायरेक्ट बेनेफिट ट्रांसफर के जरिए स्कॉलरशिप का भुगतान करना चाहिए। इसके अलावा राज्यों को विभिन्न इंस्टीट्यूशंस की फीस में बड़े अंतर पर भी विचार करने की जरूरत है।'
 
गहलोत ने कहा कि स्कॉलरशिप का मुद्दा वित्त मंत्रालय के सामने उठाया गया है। सोशल जस्टिस एंड एम्पावरमेंट मिनिस्ट्री का योजनागत बजट 6,500 करोड़ रुपए का है। इसमें से 4,667 करोड़ रुपए सितंबर के अंत तक जारी कर दिया है। लेकिन, स्कॉलरशिप की 8,000 करोड़ रुपए बकाया रकम को चुकाने के लिए अतिरिक्त फंड आवंटित करने की जरूरत है।

8,000 करोड़ रुपए में से 5,400 करोड़ रुपए 2015-16 के फाइनेंशियल ईयर तक का एरियर है और यह मौजूदा फाइंनेंशियल ईयर के लिए जरूरत का एक तिहाई है। एरियर को चुकाने के लिए एक्सपेंडिचर फाइंनेंस कमेटी को एक नोट भेजा गया है। सोशल जस्टिस एंड फाइंनेंस मिनिस्ट्री ने फाइंनेंस मिनिस्ट्री से कहा है कि 5,400 करोड़ रुपए तुरंत जारी करने की जरूरत है। 
 
इस बारे में एक वरिष्ठ अधिकारी का कहना था, स्कॉलरशिप स्कीम के तहत अधिक खर्च की वजह फ्रॉड भी है क्योंकि एक व्यक्ति दो-तीन जगहों से स्कॉलरशिप ले रहा है। मिनिस्ट्री ने राज्यों से डायरेक्ट बेनेफिट ट्रांसफर के जरिए स्कॉलरशिप देने को कहा है। इससे वास्तविक मेधावी छात्रों को स्कॉलरशिप देना सुनिश्चित किया जा सकेगा।

Courtesy: National Dastak
 

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The state government has failed to disburse the scholarship amount worth under post-matric scholarship scheme meant for scheduled caste (SC) and backward classes (BC) students. To protest government’s failure in disbursing the funds allegedly worth Rs 480 crore, 13 different association of colleges from Punjab have decided to participate in the bandh and hoist black flag on their institutes, according to a Times of India report. These associations include engineering colleges, including engineering colleges, polytechnic institutes, nursing colleges, ayurvedic colleges, dental colleges, ETT institutes and B Ed colleges. The unaided colleges have claimed that despite their several attempts, the government has failed to disburse the scholarship funds.

Jagjit Singh, president of federation of self-financed BEd colleges of Punjab told Times of India, "Two years ago, unaided colleges were asked not to charge any fees from SC and BC students by the state government. Moreover, the examination fees of these students too were deposited from college funds but till date despite repeated representation to the CM and deputy CM, the government is not releasing Rs 80 crore for 2.86 lakh students for the 2014-15 academic session and Rs 400 crore of 3 lakh students of for 2015-16." He said if government did not release the money, the next action plan would be decided after Friday as colleges have reached on the verge of closure.

Sabrangindia had reported earlier that over 20,000 research scholars from all over the country were affected by the decision of the central government to change the policy regarding the Non-NET fellowship. The students had protested the government’s stand with its Occupy UGC campaign, which had forced the government to retract its proposal to cancel the Non-net fellowships for the research scholars. However, as the Punjab colleges demonstrated a shut-down, the issue of the scholarships has cropped up once again.
 
 
 
 
 

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