Maharashtra: Students continue to struggle as SARTHI overseas higher education scholarship delayed

One of the students from Pune who has secured admissions in University of Michigan in the USA said, “I have sought a deferral now for my joining, considering the delay. It is allowed for once only, if I fail to join by the next academic year; I will have to let go of my admission.”

Even as most of these students have requested deferrals from the universities where they have been able to secure admissions, few have not had the option and have already joined their universities and are now struggling to survive abroad. One such student from Sambhaji Nagar said, “I was confident that I will be selected as I fulfil all requirements. Thus, I decided to go ahead with my plan as the scholarship will be reimbursement in nature. I took the decision knowing that the selection list and disbursement of money was delayed in the past two years. But this is the longest it has been delayed, and now, it is becoming difficult to survive in the UK,” said a student who is now studying a STEM course at the University of Leeds.

Confirming that the scholarship is delayed this year, a senior official from SARTHI said, “The process involves scrutiny of applications which was completed in October and a list of short-listed candidates was submitted to the government from where a final selection list is declared by Government Resolution. But due to the Model Code of Conduct around Maharashtra Assembly elections, this final selection remained pending. Now the list is expected to be out soon.”

While students complain that they are never given a proper reason for the delay, a student activist, Kuldeep Ambekar, from Student Helping Hand, said, “If elections delayed the process, it is important to note that there was no delay in other similar schemes offered to students from other marginalized communities. SARTHI should have planned properly so that students were not affected.”