COIMBATORE: A large number of students are unable to apply for State government's Rs 1000 monthly assistance under the Moovalur Ramamirtham Ammaiyar higher education assurance scheme because several colleges/courses do not figure in the portal penkalvi.tn.gov.in. Sunday (July 10) is the last date to file applications.
K Shakthivel, assistant professor at a private college on Sakthi road in Saravanampatti, told The New Indian Express, "Except for B.Com students, others have applied for the assistance from our college. B.Com is not featured in the portal, and ten students from our college are in lurch. We called the helpline to lodge complaint, but there was no response."
K Pavi, who teaches at a private college near Othakaal mandapam on Pollachi road, said, "Even if college names are in the portal, some course codes are not. There is no option in the portal to edit entries and make corrections. Applications for two students from B.Sc computer science department were rejected because of inadvertent errors."
Citing these issues, the Education Development Committee in Coimbatore on Thursday sent a petition to higher education department seeking extension of deadline. Co-ordinator of the committee K Leninbarathi said the government must extend the deadline and help students. Further, he demanded that the scheme be extended to students who studied in aided schools.
An assistant professor from the government arts college in the city told The New Indian Express, "Though the deadline is July 10, the Regional Joint Director (RJD) of collegiate education, Coimbatore sent circular stating that July 7 is the last date."
Repeated attempts to reach the RJD R Ulagi went in vain. A senior official in the department said, "If there are any issues in the portal, the institutions should have brought them to the notice of the higher education department through the RJD. We are solving the problems."
When asked about the RJD circular, he said, "We have to compile the data of students and to complete this work, she might have sent the circular." He clarified that institutions can apply till July 10.