MAPUSA
In a move that appears to court favour with the Scheduled Tribe (ST) student community, the State government has announced an extension of the timeline for the submission of applications under the "Gagan Bharari Shiksha Yojana" and merit-based awards for ST students until March 31.
However, the decision has stirred controversy as it coincides with the imposition of the election code of conduct.
According to a circular released by the Director of Tribal Welfare Dashrath Redkar, the deadline for submission of applications on the Chief Minister's scholarship portal has been extended.
The new deadline is March 31, with INO level verification due by April 10 and district level verification by April 20.
The circular has urged institutes and colleges to inform students about the extended timeline for application submission.
Nodal officers have been instructed not to wait until the last date to verify and send applications to the department, but to do so on a daily basis.
Additionally, the circular carries a stern warning, indicating that nodal officers will be held accountable if any eligible ST student misses out on availing the scholarship benefits.
When questioned about the potential violation of the election code of conduct, Redkar defended the decision, stating it was made in the students' best interest.
"It’s not a new scheme; we only extended the date for submission of the application for the scholarship scheme," Redkar clarified.
The "Gagan Bharari Shiksha Yojana" is a financial assistance scheme administered by the Department of Tribal Welfare.
Under this initiative, ST students can receive additional financial aid of up to Rs 15,000 as maintenance allowance, in addition to the post-matric scholarship benefits.
