Dimapur, Nov. 9 (EMN): The Ao Students’ Union Dimapur (ASUD) has extended its support to the black badge campaign spearheaded by the Eastern Nagaland College Students’ Union (ENCSU) over the failure of the Department of Higher Education to resolve the issue concerning disbursement of Scheduled Tribes students’ scholarship.
A press note from the ASUD president Lanutoshi Aier and general secretary Moayanger Jamir, stated “if the Department’s clarification that the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has released only the first installment is true, it should not be a mammoth task for the concerned authorities to produce valid documents supporting the claims so that the mystery surrounding the very elusive phenomenon called ‘installment scholarship’ is solved once and for all.”
The whole controversy surrounding the implementation of scholarships in Nagaland is one that needs to be viewed seriously, the release added.
Pointing out that every year thousands of Naga students have to wait for their scholarships with frustration which gets delayed for unknown reasons, the ASUD said “youth of today are losing faith in the governmental machinery.”
When department like that of Higher Education is expected to set a benchmark for the rest to follow, it appears as though it itself involved in fraudulent conduct of a higher nature, the releases added.
The ASUD also requested all tribal students’ unions of Nagaland to pursue the matter collectively so that students get what they deserve at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the union lauded the ENCSU for taking the bold initiative for the benefit of all Naga students. The office of the ASUD is willing and ready to extend cooperation.
