DIMAPUR — The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has written to the directors of Higher Education and Technical Education in the state, over the delay in the disbursement of the North East Council (NEC) Merit Scholarship for the academic years 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
In separate letters addressed to the respective directors, the student body pointed out that the significant delay in disbursal of the scholarship has caused distress among the student community.
“We find it disheartening that the urgency of this matter has not been accorded the priority it deserves, creating uncertainty and anxiety among students who have been eagerly anticipating these funds to meet their academic needs over the past years,” stated the letters.
Further, it drew attention to the disbursement of Post Matric Scholarship (PMS) for minorities for 2023, in the Technical Education department, which is yet to be released.
“Specifically, we are concerned about the apparent negligence in verifying the applicants for the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) scholarship. While other states have diligently undertaken the verification process, collaborating with the concerned ministry and meeting the deadline of February 26, 2024, it is disconcerting that our Technical Department has yet to follow suit,” the ANCSU stated.
The student body questioned the seriousness of the department in addressing student scholarships and appealed to both the departments to give immediate and serious consideration to the matter.
“We implore you to expeditiously engage with the concerned ministries to ensure the early release and disbursement of all scholarship schemes under the National Scholarship Portal (NSP),” it said, cautioning that the Technical education department would be held accountable for any ensuing consequences, if the AICTE scholarship applicants are not verified on time.