SIO Karnataka urges CM Siddaramaiah to increase education budget for minority students
Bengaluru: The Students Islamic Organization of India (SIO) Karnataka Zone has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the state government to increase funding for minority students in the upcoming budget.
The organisation highlighted that the Union Government's discontinuation of key scholarships, including the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Pre-Metric, Post-Metric, and Maulana Azad Fellowship, has led to financial difficulties and student dropouts. SIO demanded that the state government allocate funds to cover these scholarships and prioritise student welfare over infrastructure spending.
They also pointed out that PhD students last year received only ₹10,000 as a fellowship, significantly lower than the previous ₹25,000. SIO has requested the government to restore the earlier amount to ease financial burdens on researchers.
Citing the AISHE 2021-22 report, which showed a lower Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for Muslim students compared to the national average, SIO proposed a special scheme for coaching minority students for CUET, GATE, and entrance exams for institutions like IITs, IIMs, and NLSIU.
The organisation provided a detailed budget proposal for various schemes under the Directorate of Minorities, including:
- Pre-metric scholarship: ₹250 crore for 15 lakh students
Post-Metric & Merit-cum-means scholarship: ₹700 crore for 10 lakh students
PhD fellowship: ₹300 crore for 1,000 students
Fee reimbursement: ₹150 crore for 15,000 students
B.Ed. & D.Ed. incentives: ₹15 crore for 3,000 students
Vidyasiri scheme: ₹25 crore for 15,000 students
Coaching for competitive exams: ₹2 crore for 1,000 students
Nursing & Para-Medical course incentives: ₹45 crore for 1,500 students
Additionally, SIO stressed the importance of the Arivu Loan Scheme, urging the government to allocate ₹200 crore for 20,000 students and extend its benefits to those in management quota seats. They also called for a waiver of previous loan installments due to the lack of job opportunities for graduates.
The letter was also sent to several key officials, including Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan and Higher Education Minister Dr. M.C. Sudhakar.
SIO emphasised that a significant portion of Karnataka’s minority population lives below the poverty line and that increased investment in education is essential for their social and economic upliftment.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Drug peddler's property worth Rs 1 crore attached in Srinagar
Srinagar (PTI): Property worth Rs 1 crore belonging to a notorious drug peddler was on Saturday attached in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, police said.
A double-storey house on eight marlas of land situated at Wantpora Eidgah, belonging to Basit Bilal Dar, a notorious drug peddler, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore, a police spokesperson said.
He said Dar is involved in two cases registered under various sections of the NDPS Act.
During investigation, it was established that the accused had acquired the said property through illicit proceeds generated from drug trafficking activities, the spokesperson said.
Consequently, the property was attached under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The attachment proceedings were conducted in the presence of the two independent witnesses, strictly in accordance with the prescribed legal procedures, he said.
As per the attachment order, the owner has been restrained from selling, leasing, transferring, altering, or creating any third-party interest in the property till further orders, the spokesperson added.
