Students representing Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities will organize a mass agitation in the State capital on Saturday in protest against the delay in disbursing education grants (e-grants) and scholarships in the last two years.
Alleging the neglect of Dalit and Tribal students by both the Union and State governments, the protesters will launch their agitation in front of the Secretariat and march towards the Raj Bhavan at 11 am.
will perform the play
The protest is being spearheaded by Asur Act, a Dalit-Adivasi student theater collective, and Adishakthi Summer School, supported by Adivasi Gothra Mahasabha. As part of the protest, Asur Act will perform its 'Engale Oche' (Our Voice) play at Manaveeyam Veedhi at 5 pm on the same day.
The agitators have been demanding the removal of the annual family income limit of ₹2.5 lakh as criterion to receive e-grants, the timely disbursal of grants every month, clearance of e-grants dues, hike in hostel allowances, and the withdrawal of the State government orders to provide educational allowances in a single installment every year.
The agitators alleged that the ceiling of ₹2.5 lakh as family income to avail the benefits of the Prime Minister's Scholarship Scheme threatens to push several SC, ST higher education aspirants from the ambit of the scheme. Unfortunately, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, which claims to champion the cause of such sections, chose not to oppose the Centre's move, they said.
Certificates withheld
Besides, the decision of the State government to make one-time payment of grants as opposed to the Centre's guidelines of releasing its share in four installments a year has left several students in the lurch. The policy mismatch has resulted in a mounting backlog of grants payable under e-grantz, the State government's centralized distribution system for scholarship and grants, and has led to many beneficiaries facing their certificates withheld by institutions that are yet to receive payments from the government.
The students also flagged the inadequate academic allowances, including lump sum grant and monthly pocket money, that are not in tune with the prevailing cost of living.