- Odisha directs government medical and engineering colleges to defer admission, tuition and other fees for eligible SC and ST students for up to six months, allowing them to await scholarship disbursements.
Odisha government has declared financial assistance to economically backward and meritorious students belonging to SC and ST categories for admission into government medical and engineering colleges. According to this new policy, students who fall under the above-mentioned category need not make payments of admission charges, tuition fee and other prescribed fees for six months.
CM Mohan Charan Majhi asks the concerned authority to take up the initiative so that lack of finance may not deprive eligible students of admission even after passing in the competitive entrance examination. The new initiative aims at resolving one of the major problems faced by students who get seats in professional courses but fail to arrange money within the specified time period.
According to the authorities, the scholarship benefits provided by the state and central government usually become available only after the formalities of the admissions are completed. This takes about three to four months, leaving a period of financial gap for those students who have to immediately pay the fee to the institution once they get admitted. The new system intends to fill this gap for students.
This decision becomes even more crucial for those students belonging to poor economic backgrounds, who have qualified for highly competitive professional courses. The first step towards education in medical and engineering disciplines involves some costs, and a delay in getting finances might hinder the student’s capability of taking up their allotted seat.
The problem comes to light through the example of Kabita Hikaka, a 19-year-old tribal girl from the Rayagada district, who shows the financial problems that candidates encounter. Hikaka is eligible to take the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), with a rank of 137 in the ST category and an overall rank of 4,027, obtaining an MBBS seat at Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput. She initially had trouble getting the money for admission, but later help in funding came to her aid.
Her case raises another issue which pertains to students from marginalised backgrounds. According to the report, there have been quite a few SC/ST students who have encountered the same problem in earlier years, finding themselves unable to pursue their studies due to lack of help when they needed it.
The most recent decision taken by the Odisha Government is geared towards ensuring that such scenarios do not arise, whereby scholarship holders do not miss out on their admission chances owing to short-term monetary difficulties. This will ensure that such students get some leeway while their scholarships are being finalised.
The state government is expected to provide a set of guidelines explaining the process by which the facility will be availed. The benefit, once introduced, is anticipated to enhance access to professional education and ensure better continuity of meritorious students from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities in Odisha.
