CHENNAI: Bharathidasan Raman, a research scholar, pursuing PhD at the National University of Malaysia under the state government’s Annal Ambedkar Overseas Higher Education Scholarship has claimed that the delay in release of scholarship funds has stalled his research and could lead to his expulsion from the university.
However, the social justice department, in a release, said, “We mailed the university’s registrar around 1 pm on Thursday following which the student has released a video misrepresenting facts.”
In the video, Bharathidasan, the lone PhD scholar among beneficiaries of the scholarship scheme, said that the delay in receiving funds has affected his research for nearly six months. He claimed that he is now facing the prospect of being removed from the university.
Bharathidasan blamed the TN social justice department and appealed to the government to either release the funds or inform him so that he could seek alternative financial support. However, the social justice department maintained that the student is yet to submit proof of expenses required to access the funds.
“The funds for his university fees and living expenses have already been released. However, he has neither submitted proof of expenses for the research funds allocated for his first year nor obtained a recommendation from the university or the Head of Department (HOD) for the release of funds for his second year,” an official said.
DMK slams govt
DMK president and ex-CM MK Stalin said Bharathidasan was not seeking assistance but the fulfilment of a right assured to him by the government. He said a student’s higher education dream should not be ruined because of a change in government.
Stalin also referred to Bharathidasan’s statement that he was facing what happened to Rohith Vemula and urged the TVK government not to earn such disrepute. He said that if the state could not provide the required funds, the DMK and people of Tamil Nadu would pay Bharathidasan’s educational fees.
Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also condemned the government, alleging that it was targeting the student for raising the scholarship issue.