Pay scholarship fees directly to institutions, directs HC

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court (MHC) has directed the Union government to amend the payment mechanism adopted in the post-matric scholarship scheme for scheduled caste (SC) students by crediting the tuition fee directly to the educational institutions.

Justice Anita Sumanth directed to implement the amendment in the payment method prior to the next fee payable date to the institutions and also directed the State to decide whether to initiate proceedings against the defaulting students who have failed to transfer the tuition fee to the institution after receiving it from the government.

The judge also directed the Union and State governments to pay the tuition fee shortfall in the proportion of 60:40 to the educational institutions who have approached this court. “The benefit given to one section of the society cannot make inroad into another and this is what will happen if the present payment mechanism continues, “ the judge said.

The scheme was to affect the fundamental rights of other stakeholders who are intrinsic to the working of the scheme, such as the educational institutions, would be gross legal lacunae in the scheme itself, to that extent and would, in time, render that scheme unworkable, read the judgment.

A batch of writ petitions filed in the MHC by private educational institutions seeking to quash the payment mechanism adopted in the scholarship scheme by crediting tuition fees directly to the bank accounts of the students and sought to remit the fee directly to the institutions.

The Union government launched the post-matric scholarship scheme for scheduled caste to increase the enrolment of SC community students in higher education. Under this scheme, the Centre pays the tuition fee, hostel fee, and other academic fee of the beneficiary students to pursue their higher education .