The Ministry of Human Resource Development intends to streamline the Prime Minister’s Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) for the academic year 2015-16 for such of the students from J&K as have sought admission in educational and professional institutions outside the State. This scheme was floated by UPA II Government as a measure to help students of the State overcome the difficulties created in their pursuit of higher education owing to outbreak of militancy in the State. Five thousand scholarships have been granted for the current financial year with a value of 30,000 rupees per annum. For engineering and medical students, the amount is much higher. However, these scholarships will be sanctioned in favour of only those students from the State who fulfill the conditions laid down for the award.
The scheme has been streamlined in the sense that eligible students can apply on line and thus eschew the intermediaries. Pertinent to remind that some dishonest and fake NGOs had become the intermediaries and fraudulently pocket big chunks of the amount of scholarship by duping the students. Under revised instructions, prospective candidates have been strictly advised not to get into the trap of NGOs and other intermediaries and verify the status of institutions in which they seek admission. They will apply direct on line within the stipulated time. At the same time, complaints have also been received by the HRD Ministry that some official and politicians have bungled with the scheme and have illegally got the scholarships awarded to their wards. The Ministry has already warned that it will not allow the rights of deserving candidates to be violated.
We appreciate that the HRD Ministry has taken a serious view of mismanagement of scholarships in the state and has made rules that will reduce chances of mismanagement.
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