COIMBATORE: College students allege that they face difficulty in applying for SC/ST scholarships for the current academic year through the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare department portal without a digital community certificate. Assistant professor K Manoj, coordinator for SC/ST scholarship at a private arts and science college on the outskirts of the city told TNIE,
“State government introduced a new portal for students to apply for the SC/ST scholarship from January 31 to February 28, which requires them to upload the digital number of their community certificate. It is a complication for them, as many students just have the old community certificate and they have to apply for the digital certificate through the e-seva centre and get it after verification by the revenue department. They are facing delays in getting the digital certificate, due to which they are not being able to apply for the scholarship.”
He urged the state government to take steps to provide digital community certificates to the students as soon as possible. K Mounika, a first-year student, told TNIE, “When I tried to ask for the digital number in a taluk office, the officers asked many questions as they were unaware of the digital community certificate. I then applied through the e-seva centre last week and am yet to receive it. I don’t know if I will get it in time to register for the scholarship.”
General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Teachers-Wardens Welfare Association G Vivek told TNIE, “Over 60% of the students don’t have the digital community certificate and income certificate which are necessary for the scholarship as the revenue department doesn’t cooperate when they apply for it. It will be really difficult for them to submit these documents within such a short period. We request the government to extend the process for applying for scholarships by at least a month.”
According to the sources, around 24,000 students in Coimbatore district are facing difficulty in applying for the scholarship. When contacted, an official from the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department in Coimbatore told TNIE, “If college management or students face difficulty to apply for scholarship, they can contact the district helpline numbers available in the portal.” Repeated attempts to reach the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department Minister N Kayalvizhi Selvaraj and Secretary Laxmi Priya went in vain.