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Temjen Imna Along launches the ‘Nagaland Government Ex-Gratia Scheme for students studying outside Nagaland,’ on Wednesday at the directorate of Higher Education in Kohima.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Kohima, Oct. 30 (EMN): Nagaland Minister for Higher and Technical Education and Tribal Affairs Temjen Imna Along launched the “Nagaland government ex-gratia scheme for students studying outside Nagaland (NGESSO), on Wednesday at the directorate of Higher Education in Kohima.
Speaking at the programme, Along thanked Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for the scheme, and that it is an initiative of the CM.
“It is an achievement for PDA (People's Democratic Alliance) government,” the minister said. He said the initiative is a visionary step taken by the government for students. The minister assured the people of Nagaland and the students’ community that the government was trying its best to bring ‘inclusive change’ and ‘inclusive growth’ for the people.
The scheme will benefit Naga students who are indigenous and residents of Nagaland, he said, while also calling for fast and efficient implementation. He asserted the scheme will be implemented with 100 % transparency.
The ex-gratia scheme was initiated because there are thousands of students who study outside the state across the country but are not from economically empowered families.
The officer on special duty of the Finance department, Taliremba said that the Nagaland Cabinet had decided during the previous year to introduce the scheme primarily with the objective to give relief to families of students from Nagaland studying outside.
The government decided to create a corpus fund of INR five crore which would be deposited in the bank while the interest generated from the amount would be used to financially help distressed families of students with a fixed ex-gratia of INR 5 lakh in times of casualties and misfortune, he said.
Eligibility criteria
The scheme is open to students belonging to any recognised Scheduled Tribe / Indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland state, and admitted to regular course with a minimum duration of one year course in any recognised institution outside the state of Nagaland but within India only.
Students pursuing studies from the primary levels till post doctoral courses; and secular, technical, professional, diploma, theology courses etc will be eligible for the scheme.
It will be eligible for students who have registered their names and details with the office of the directorate of Higher Education, Nagaland, and have nominated the names and details of their nominee for claims of the ex-gratia scheme during registrations, and for those whose death has occurred outside Nagaland.
Students residing in Nagaland and pursuing correspondence courses / distance education courses from outside the state are not eligible.
The scheme’s fund amounting to INR five lakh covers only death cases only.
The terms and conditions to claim the Nagaland Government Ex-Gratia scheme for students studying outside
In case of death, the nominee of the deceased student can claim the ex-gratia amount within a period of two months after the death of the student by submitting an application to the director, directorate of Higher Education, mentioning the name of the deceased student, date of death, cause of death / place of death.
The nominee should produce a certificate issued by a police officer from the nearest police station jurisdiction where the student died, and a certificate issued by the principal/head of department of the institution where the student was studying.
The nominee shall furnish the registration ID number of the deceased student, generated by the directorate of Higher Education.
Students studying outside Nagaland can register their names by applying through the forms issued by the office of the directorate of Higher Education.
The registration forms can be downloaded from the department website www.highereducation.nagaland.gov.in.
