16/NOV/12 Scholarships. For whom? | ARTICLE

Who deserves and who gets benefitted? The question demands answer Mehraj Din EDUCATION is a fundamental means for imparting true ideals of life. It determines the health of a society. Kashmir has produced various intellectuals in the past and there is no dearth of intellectuals at present too. The students from Kashmir, wherever they may be studying, are proving their mettle and achieving great heights in academics. There has been a perception about Kashmiri students that they are not dedicated towards their studies and that is the reason that they are not able to fetch good scholarships. But the fact is that we have always been deprived of favors. I am pointing towards the scholarships which are given to all those scholars who have qualified JRF (Junior Research Fellowship) exam. This fellowship is given to those students who are doing research and they are given it on monthly basis so that they can continue their research without any hurdles and complications. It’s painful for all those students who are doing their research in the University of Kashmir, and have qualified this test but do not receive it monthly. While on the other hand all those students who are studying outside Kashmir get it on monthly basis. There is no fun of qualifying such exams if the scholarship is not given on the appropriate time. I am not saying something which is a mere observation or a wild guess but an open secret that some students get this scholarship after a year and some get it after 2 years when their residential period of research ends, and some get it after the completion of their research. Some of my friends who are doing their research are facing utter frustration when they are told their file is lost which is worth lakhs of rupees. It is an utter shame on the highest centre of education where students and scholars are treated like non entities and discouraged to such an extent that they lose their hope in getting, what is their due and basic right. The basic question to be asked, where does the money of this scholarship go if it does not reach a student. What is the fun of having these convocations, programmes on morality, justice, progress and development when you are not delivering justice to your own students? A large number of students are ready to leave their research halfway just because they belong to middle class families and cannot carry on their research without financial assistance. At the same time these students have to support their families and there is no other way but to leave everything for academics. The irony is that the whole benefit of MoU goes into the basket of professors who are so eager to sign them. That benefit must be given to those who deserve it