CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Tuesday suggested to the State and Central governments to reconsider their policy decision with regard to extension of benefits of Post Matric Scholarship Scheme to meritorious SC/ST students, who are admitted under management quota in self-financing educational institutions, as expeditiously as possible, preferably within 12 weeks. A division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee passed the order while dismissing a batch of PILs from retired IAS officer S Subbiah and five others.
The petitions sought to quash an order of Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment dated June 11, 2019 and a consequential order of State Tribal Welfare director dated June 25 and consequently to confirm the applicability of scholarship scheme for management quota (category II) under Post Matric Scholarship Scheme 2018 from 2018-19 onwards for SC/ST students.
“In the light of the limited scope of judicial review available to this court in respect of policy decision formulated by the first respondent (Union Social Justice Ministry), it is not in a position to quash the impugned policy decision/communication,” the court said and dismissed the petition.
The judges, however, conceding the contentions of senior counsel K Doraisamy and V T Gopalan, observed that it cannot be said that all students admitted under the management quota in self-financing educational institutions are less meritorious for the reason that depending upon the location of educational institutions nearer to their residence, quality of teaching, faculty and other facilities available, they may choose the institutions.
“Therefore, this court is of the considered view that the Union Ministry of Social Justice may revisit the said issue once again in the light of this fact and after all, upliftment of SC/ST students is an avowed social objective and to avail post matric scholarship, economic criteria is also fixed and therefore, there is no likelihood of misuse or abuse also.”