AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has admitted that the Centre-funded Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribe students will no longer apply to those admitted under the management quota from 2024-25.
This revelation, made in the Gujarat Assembly, triggered a massive uproar, with Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs fiercely opposing the move. As tensions escalated, the education minister attempted to justify the decision, but the opposition remained unconvinced.
The protest reached a boiling point when Congress and AAP legislators stormed the well of the House, leading to their eviction from the Assembly on Tuesday.
During Question Hour in the Gujarat Assembly, MLA Chaitar Vasava pressed the government on whether the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribe students had been scrapped for those admitted under the management quota from 2024-25.
In response, the state's Tribal Development Ministry confirmed the discontinuation, acknowledging the policy shift. Justifying the move, the government stated that the scholarship, funded by the Centre, is meant for meritorious students and must be implemented as per its original guidelines. The explanation failed to pacify the opposition, sparking a heated uproar in the Assembly.
AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava slammed the BJP government for scrapping the tribal scholarship scheme, calling it "anti-tribal." "The BJP passed a resolution to stop this scheme on October 28, 2024. Why are they targeting tribal students?" Vasava questioned.
Congress MLA and Tribal Leader, Anant Patel hit out at the government, accusing it of neglecting tribal education.
“This government does not want the tribal community to study,” Patel said. “That’s why neither the government nor Education Minister Kuber Dindor ever speaks about tribal education.” Congress MLA and tribal leader Dr. Tushar Chaudhary criticized the government for scrapping the tribal scholarship scheme, calling it an unjust move.
“The government passed a resolution to discontinue the scholarships, which were a joint initiative by the Centre and the state,” Chaudhary said.
Tribal Development Minister Kuber Dindor defended the government's decision, clarifying that the scholarship remains intact for certain students. "This is a centrally sponsored scheme and has only been withdrawn for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students admitted under the management quota in professional and technical courses," Dindor said.
"I want to make it clear—it has not been stopped for tribal students securing admission under the government quota."
Unsatisfied with the government's response, four tribal MLAs from Congress and AAP stormed into the well of the House, raising slogans against the decision to discontinue the scholarship.
As tensions escalated, the Speaker issued a warning, but the protesting legislators refused to back down, while other opposition MLAs stood in solidarity. With the four MLAs defying repeated calls to return to their seats, the Speaker ordered their eviction, prompting marshals to escort them out of the Assembly.