Centre not releasing funds for minority students scholarship scheme: CPM

CHENNAI: CPM State Secretary K Balakrishnan on Tuesday condemned the BJP-led Union government for not releasing funds for the minority student's scholarships.

In a statement, he said that the BJP government has stopped the educational assistance for the students of Classes 1-8 from this year and cancelled the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Fellowship and the interest subsidy given to the minority students studying abroad taking the educational loan.

"Now the union government has not released funds for any of the scholarship programmes - Pre-Matric scholarship, Post Matric Scholarship, Begum Hazrat Mahal Scholarship and Matric cum Means Scholarship this year," he said, adding that the Union Government has withheld these scholarships to affect the education of minority students due to their hatred towards minorities.

The Union government should immediately provide educational assistance to minority students, he demanded, urging the State government to take up the issues with appropriate officials at the Union government to get funds for the student's scholarships.