Demand raised in LS for restoring pre-matric scholarship, Maulana Azad Fellowship for minorities
New Delhi, Dec 13: Several parliamentarians on Tuesday demanded in Lok Sabha that the pre-matric scholarship and Maulana Azad Fellowship for minority students be restored, saying how will the country progress if the minority communities are left behind.
The Maulana Azad Fellowship for minority students pursuing higher education has been scrapped while the government's pre-matric scholarship for them will no longer apply to students from Class 1 to Class 8.
Several Muslim MPs raised the demand of bringing back the scholarships.
During a discussion on the supplementary demands for grants, BSP MP Danish Ali said the pre-matric scholarship and Maulana Azad Fellowship must be restored. "Everyone needs to be taken along for the prosperity of the country. How can you leave minorities behind and prosper?"
AIMIM MP Syed Imitiaz Jaleel also raised the demand, asking how will minority students study and progress if this fellowship is stopped.
Raising the issue of the education of minorities, Samajwadi Party member S T Hasan said the government should restart the scholarships it has done away with like the Maulana Azad National Fellowship. All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal also demanded that the scholarships be restored and called for enhancing the budget for minorities to provide education to them.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani had said the government provided fellowship for higher education through various schemes, including the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, implemented by different ministries or departments.
All these schemes, except the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, are open for candidates of all communities, including minorities, but the data of fellowship distributed among minority students is captured only under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship scheme, she had said.
"Since the MANF (Maulana Azad National Fellowship) scheme overlaps with various other fellowship schemes for higher education being implemented by the government and minority students are already covered under such schemes, hence the government has decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme from 2022-23," Irani had said.
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Dhoni on IPL future: Nothing to decide now, will take a call later
Kolkata (PTI): Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni says "there is no escaping the fact" that he is in the twilight of his IPL career but a decision on his future will depend on how his body responds to the pressure of hard work in the next six to eight months.
The former India captain, who is being met with a sea of adoring fans in yellow at every venue he goes to, is well aware of the emotions and his passionate followers' desire to be there when he plays his last game.
"That is the love and affection I have gotten throughout. Not to forget I am 42 (43). I have played a long time. A lot of them don't know when it is going to be my last time, so they want to come and see me play," Dhoni said after CSK's two-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders here on Wednesday.
Dhoni, who underwent a knee surgery in 2023, has continued to battle fitness concerns. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming recently admitted that the veteran "can't bat 10 overs running full stick."
All of this has contributed in building speculation that the ongoing season is his last outing in the league.
The enigmatic wicketkeeper-batter said he is fully aware of where he stands in his storied career right now but will not make a decision without deliberating hard over it and fully assessing his fitness.
"There is no escaping the fact (that I am in the last phase of my career). After this IPL gets over, I have to work hard for another 6-8 months to see if my body can take this pressure.
"Nothing to decide now but the love and affection I have seen is excellent," Dhoni said.
The win was only the third of CSK's disappointing season marred by inconsistency. With play-off hopes dashed, Dhoni said the focus is now on testing bench strength.
"There were a few things that did not go our way. You could get emotional about it, talk about the pride factor but you have to be practical about it.
"(You) want to be competitive but you also want answers - which batter can fit where, which bowler can bowl where, according to the conditions and all. When we started, hardly anyone was scoring.
"We are out of the tournament, so you give them a chance, see how they react. It is the approach, the mental toughness that you want to check. The most technically-correct batter does not always score the runs, if you have good awareness...there is a chance to be consistent."
