Hyderabad(Dec, 20) : Students from Maulana Azad National University (MANUU) in Hyderabad gathered today to protest against ongoing issues with minority scholarships. Last year, the National Scholarship Portal, meant for minority students, faced problems when the Ministry suspended more than 830 institutions due to alleged fraud involving fake beneficiaries.
Mateen Ashraf, President of MANUU Students Union, expressed concern over what he sees as a deliberate targeting of minority scholarships by the central government. He shared a case where a district nodal officer’s negligence led to the suspension of scholarships for over 1800 MANUU students.
This year, the Ministry initiated a CBI inquiry, accusing several minority institutions of obtaining fraudulent scholarships. Consequently, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has not opened the scholarship portal for the current academic year 2023-24. This delay is affecting MANUU students and others from minority communities, preventing them from applying for scholarships.
The Students Union strongly criticized what they believe to be discriminatory actions by Minority Minister Smriti Irani. They called for the immediate release of scholarships and the reopening of the scholarship portal for the current academic year. The students emphasized the importance of fair access to educational opportunities for everyone, regardless of their community background
