“What good would a PhD do,” Ajit Pawar had requested in the course of the winter session of state legislature final month. | File Photograph
A number of college students criticised the state authorities’s resolution of introducing a ‘give it up’ choice for social welfare schemes, together with scholarships and fellowships. Coming weeks after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s controversial touch upon the PhD programme, the transfer goals to ‘encourage’ well-off beneficiaries to easily decide out of the schemes’ ambit.
The flak was directed on the authorities’s resolution so as to add a ‘give it up’ button on the applying pages for 65 schemes, together with the LPG cylinder subsidy, run via the state’s direct profit switch portal (MahaDBT). According to the Centre’s initiative of asking individuals to skip availing the LPG subsidy if they’ll maintain, the choice to roll out the ‘give it up’ choice was taken in a gathering chaired by Pawar, who heads the Finance Division, in October 2023. A authorities decision was issued in the identical regard earlier this month.
What good would a PhD do: Ajit Pawar in the course of the winter session
The ‘give it up’ button has been added to scholarships and fellowships supplied by the Centre in addition to numerous state departments. Monetary advantages for farmers, tribals, these affected by pure calamities, entrepreneurs and widows have additionally been added with the brand new choice. The button may even path the long run schemes. Earlier, Pawar was slammed for his remarks on analysis students, demanding to extend the variety of PhD fellowships. “What good would a PhD do,” Pawar had requested in the course of the winter session of state legislature final month.
“Those that do not need to avail the schemes can merely not apply on the portal”
College students identified that the brand new choice would not serve any objective. Not like LPG subsidy, the state’s advantages aren’t supplied to everybody by default. Those that do not need to avail the schemes can merely not apply on the portal, they reasoned.
In an analogous vein, the state chapter of College students Federation of India underscored that the choice displays the federal government’s disdain for beneficiaries and its will to create an environment in opposition to scholarship programmes.
“If college students click on on this selection accidentally, they might be disadvantaged of instructional assist and can find yourself paying their total charges. Many college students will likely be disadvantaged of schooling resulting from this selection,” it stated in an announcement. Pupil organisations stated that the choice is proof of the federal government making an attempt to restrict the tutorial assist to marginalised college students.
