The All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) has issued a 27-day ultimatum to the Nagaland government, demanding the immediate operationalization of a separate Scholarship Nodal Cell under the Higher & Technical Education Department, warning of democratic protests if the demand is ignored.
In an ultimatum to the Chief Secretary, Government of Nagaland, signed by ANCSU President Tenyesinlo Bukh and General Secretary Kivinoka A Sema, the Union expressed its “profound discontentment” over what it described as the abandonment of genuine grievances of students.
The Union reminded the Chief Secretary that the decision to set up a separate Scholarship Nodal Cell under Higher & Technical Education Department was approved in the State Cabinet meeting on June 10, 2019 and notified through O.M No. CAB-2/2013 (Pt) dated 12/06/2019, under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
It further stated that a subsequent notification (No. HTE/SCHO/SC/21-18/2019) issued on October 25, 2019, also gave students hope for a separate Scholarship Nodal Cell. However, the ANCSU alleged that the initiative has remained only on paper and not in action for the past years.
The delay in bringing all kinds of scholarship schemes scattered in various departments under one cell/board only indicates the inefficiency of the state government, it added.
Download Nagaland Tribune app on Google Play
“When the other NE states have a separate board/cell of scholarships and smoothing functioning without a sanction and disbursement delay from the Central Ministry, the state Government of Nagaland willfully neglecting this grave issue is no less than assassination of students grievances and rights,” the Union stated.
The ANCSU maintained that there is no valid reason for further delay since the Cabinet has already approved the cell’s creation and the union has raised the issue repeatedly.
The union has given the state government 27 days from the date of the letter to act, failing which it warned that the student community will initiate democratic protests to press its demand.
