ITANAGAR, Jun 10: A three-member All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) team comprising of its vice president (admin) Meje Taku, convenor Tatung Taga and education secretary Prem Tallong called on the State Governor today and submitted a representation to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs through his office for early release of ‘pending’ pre & post-matric scholarship amounts for the APST students.
While narrating the untold sufferings of the students due to the COVID-19 pandemic and adoption of online/blended mode of education, the AAPSU team stated that the usual timing for officially disbursing the centrally-sponsored umbrella scholarship for tribal and minority students has passed, but the competent authorities have somehow failed to release the scholarship on time.
“Further due to online classes, the students irrespective of classes and streams took the responsibility of purchasing smartphones as it was requisite for such classes. This is in addition to the several layers of problems already faced by the students’ community. Under such circumstances, when the scholarships are not released on time, it is the students who are at the receiving end,” it said.
“Students are upset and deeply stressed over the lack of resources for continuing online classes” and “the unjustifiable delay in release of umbrella scholarship has severely affected the beneficiaries,” stated the AAPSU.
Meanwhile, an AAPSU team led by Meje Taku met the Director of Medical Education and the Principal Secretary (Finance & Health), Govt of Arunachal Pradesh yesterday regarding the issue of non-release of stipends for paramedical and nursing students. While putting forth the grievances of the students, the apex students’ body urged the State Govt to immediately release the pending stipend of paramedical and nursing students without any further delay.