At PU, scholarships worth lakhs lie unutilised

[sidmis]

At PU, scholarships worth lakhs lie unutilised
as reported by JYOTSNA JALALI Nov 09, 2008 Express India

Chandigarh, November 08 At Panjab University, if records are anything to go by, more than 60 students from different states have missed the opportunity and failed to claim scholarships announced by their respective governments.

While students say they were never told about the scholarships, authorities at the university blame it on the lack of awareness among the students. This communication gap leaves behind lakhs of unused amount which is sent back by the PU authorities to the states.

According to a data received by the PU Registrar’s office under a Right to Information application, 25 students for the academic session 2006-07 from states such as Punjab and Haryana have not claimed the scholarships announced by their states. The figure is around 25 for the next two sessions, 2007-08 and 2008-09, as well. Scholarships up to Rs 10,000 announced by various states are lying unutilised.

Talking to Newsline, PU Registrar S S Bari said: “Most of the unused scholarships are either those where the student’s department is not mentioned or where the departments, whom we forward the details to, do not get back to us. It is the duty of the students to approach us to claim scholarships, otherwise the unused amount is sent back to the respective state.”

Bari added that whenever a state allots a scholarship, it also informs the student respectively — a step enough for a student to come forward and claim the amount. Meanwhile, the 60 students who have not availed the scholarships in the last three years are not the students of the university and must have taken admission elsewhere, the Registrar claimed.
Interestingly, not many outstation students are aware of the scholarships. Geetika, an MA student from Jullandhar said: “I don’t even know that states give scholarships. After graduation, I moved to Chandigarh along with my family and have no contact with my native town. The PU authorities should take some concrete steps to inform the students of any such scholarships.”

Simranjot, a student from Gurdaspur, said: “I am sure maximum students from other states have no idea about the scholarships. The administrative block is so chaotic that most of the students do not take the pain to get their scholarships enchased.”

Meanwhile, a students’ body at the university has decided to take up the cudgel and ensure that the recipients claim the opportunity they have been given. Talking to Newsline, NSUI member Nitin Goyal said: “We will help all the students who have not been awarded their said scholarship. The PU officials also need to be more sensitive about student-related works.”

At PU, scholarships worth lakhs lie unutilised - Express India