By – Sunitha Ramesh : The Government of India through the State Governments is implementing the following schemes of educational financial assistance exclusively and only for the school-going children of SC/ST/OBC/Minorities whose family income does not exceed Rupees one lakh (Rs.1,00,000/-) per annum.The schemes of financial assistance are as follows:
(a) Free supply of stationery to SC/ST/OBC/Minorities students;
(b) Scholarship to SC/ST/OBC/Minorities students; and
(c) Reimbursement of tuition fee of SC/ST/OBC/Minorities students studying in recognised private schools.
Stationery reimbursement amounts are:
(i) For Classes VI – VIII – Rs.450/- per annum;
(ii) For Classes IX – XII – Rs.750/- per annum
Merit Scholarships amounts are:
(i) For Classes VI – VIII – Rs. 500/- per annum
(ii) For Classes VI – VIII – Rs. 600/- per annum
(iii) For Classes IX – XII – Rs.1,350/- per annum
(iv) For Classes IX – XII – Rs.1,700/- per annum
The criteria to be fulfilled to be eligible for the above schemes are:
(i) Family income should not exceed Rs.1,00,000/- per annum;
(ii) Minimum school attendance; and
(iii) Minimum marks in previous class.
The Indian citizens have been classified into the following categories:
(a) Scheduled Castes
(b) Scheduled Tribes
(c) Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (euphemistically called (OBCs))
(d) Religious Minorities (comprising of Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Parsees; and
(e) UNRESERVED CATEGORY HINDUS and Jains (This category has been derived by eliminating the categories (a-d) people from the country’s total population)
Annual Budget from public money
The annual budget of the Central and State Governments together for the above schemes exceeds a mammoth Rs.2000 crs per annum.
Denial of financial assistance exclusively to poor Unreserved Hindu Children
The three schemes of financial assistance (from public money over which all citizens and all sections of the society have rights) are available to all children of low-income families (a-d) except the poor children of the Unreserved Category Hindus (e).
Why this exclusive denial to only one section of the society, that too Hindus?
Why should only one section of the Indian society (that too poor children) be targeted for denial of scholarships from public money, which belongs to all? When all other poor children are entitled for scholarships, why should one section of the poor Hindu children alone be deprived of its share? What is the wrong they have done? What is their crime?
What do the advertisements for the schemes say?
The advertisements announcing the schemes of scholarships etc state that financial deprivation is preventing poor children of SC/ST/OBC/Minorities from pursuing education.
If the above contention is correct, wouldn’t financial deprivation prevent the unreserved category Hindu children from pursuing education?
A study of the financial status of children studying in Delhi Government-owned schools (based on information obtained through RTI) reveals that almost 100% of the children of the Unreserved Category Hindus fall in the below Rs.1,00,000/- income slab. Considering that money value is the same for human beings, and based on the income criteria, shouldn’t the Unreserved Category Hindu children also be entitled to financial assistance from public money which belongs to the nation?
Total violation of Article 15(1) of the constitution
Article 15(1) categorically prohibits discrimination by the State on the basis of caste, religion etc. By denying ‘scholarships’ etc to a poor section of the society only because they belong to a particular ‘caste’, is it not a total violation of Article 15(1)?
One Crucial Fact
Rs.25000/- crs is reportedly the budget for holding Commonwealth Games which is not going to bring about any change in the lives of ordinary individuals. Rs.200 crs each year is the subsidy for private religious yatras (such as haj, kailash) which yield no benefit to the nation. Several hundred crores each year are given as grant to the developing countries like Palestine, Afganistan etc. But there is not a paise for poor Hindu children all because they belong to a particular caste!!! Could anything be more unfair?
Request
Hereby, an appeal is being made to your goodself to request the Government through (President/PM/MP/MLA/Councillors or any other politician) known to you to end this unjustified and targeted exclusion of one section of the poor Hindu children from accessing public resources which is otherwise available to all other poor children.
Please circulate this to all persons known to you.