Thrissur: A dalit girl's dream of earning a post-graduate degree from a foreign university has hit a roadblock – thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala.
Rima Rajan will be forced to discontinue the studies at Coimbra University in Portugal as lapses from the part of the government cost her a deserving scholarship.
Rima, native of Kodakara in Thrissur district, was studying MSc (Business Management) at the university. Her family had been frequenting the scheduled castes (SC) department at the Secretariat for the past one-and-a half years for a scholarship so that she can pay the university dues. As usual, the bureaucrats turned a deaf ear to her pleas.
Finally, to the utter shame of all Keralites, she got a note from the university that says: "We had given you three months' time, considering your academic excellence. But we cannot allow you to continue. You will be expelled from the university if you do not pay the money before September 2."
Rima's father Rajan had met many, including minister A.K. Balan, saying that his daughter would have to discontinue her studies if she failed to get the scholarship. Rajan says nobody bothered to act. In spite of citing the university's letter, all that the people in authority would say was, "Wait, the file is being checked again." The bureaucrats at the SC department alleged that many people went abroad for 'unnecessary' courses and sought scholarships without discretion.
The law mandates that if an SC student goes abroad for a course that is not available in India, the entire expenses have to be paid as scholarship. Even though MBBS seats are available in plenty in India, many have been granted scholarship to study medical courses in China, based on this provision. In the case of Rima, however, it was refused despite convincing officials that this was a course that was not offered in India.
The SC Commission had responded positively when Rima's complaint was brought to its attention, but even that did not move the file. While the university's termination memo sets a deadline of 5pm Satuday, Rima can still continue if the government provides a letter of guarantee that the money will be paid. That is the last chance. For Rima and for the government. Just a few hours to that.
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Source: Dalit student faces expulsion from Portugal University as Kerala govt fails to provide scholarship
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