SIO says Karnataka government has guaranteed scholarships for 9th, 10th standard minority students
Bengaluru: The Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), Karnataka Zone, has announced that the Karnataka government has assured the extension of scholarships to students studying in the 9th and 10th standards under the State Scholarship Portal (SSP).
This assurance follows a meeting between an SIO Karnataka delegation, including State Secretary Mohammed Hayyan and Advocate Syed Ismail Quadri, Zonal Advisory Council Member and Zameer Ahmed Khan, Minister for Hajj, Waqf and Minority Welfare. The Minister reportedly assured the delegation that the necessary file to reinstate the scholarships will be approved soon, ensuring support from the current academic year.
Students in these grades had been left without financial aid for the past two years following the Union Government’s discontinuation of the pre-matric scholarship scheme under the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), previously managed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The gap had led to mounting dropout rates among students from economically weaker minority backgrounds.
While the SSP has continued to provide scholarships for students from 1st to 8th standard, the absence of provisions for 9th and 10th standards created a critical void. With rising education costs and increasing privatisation, SIO Karnataka has stressed the urgency of reinstating these scholarships to support students at a pivotal stage in their education.
“We earnestly urged the Government of Karnataka to extend SSP scholarship benefits to students of 9th and 10th standard. We are extremely grateful to Minister Zameer Ahmed for his prompt and positive response, " said Mohammed Hayyan.
SIO Karnataka reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring the implementation process and ensuring that students receive timely assistance. The organisation believes this move will help thousands of students continue their education with dignity and confidence.
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
