HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court on Thursday criticised delays in disbursing post-matric scholarships to minority students, saying administrative inaction was affecting those dependent on fee reimbursement schemes.
Hearing a PIL, a bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin faulted the state government, particularly the Finance department, for routinely holding back scholarship bills. The court said the issue recurs every year, causing hardship to students.
Counsel for the petitioners, Syed Mounis Abidi, said the Minority Welfare department filed its counter-affidavit at the last moment, while the Finance department had failed to respond despite repeated opportunities. He said proposals for release of funds had been sent but were pending without explanation.
The bench noted that the delays had a cascading effect, with private institutions continuing to retain students’ original certificates despite a government circular dated February 23, 2024, directing colleges not to do so pending reimbursement. It observed that the threat of action mentioned in the circular was not being enforced.
The judges said retention of certificates even for six months could cost students academic or career opportunities that cannot later be remedied. They termed it ironic that students studying on scholarships due to financial constraints were forced to approach courts for release of certificates, incurring additional costs.
The court asked whether any grievance cell, toll-free number or monitoring mechanism existed to ensure compliance by institutions.
Granting the Finance department two weeks to file its counter-affidavit, the court adjourned the matter to March 3, 2026, and directed the Minority Welfare department to put in place a grievance redressal mechanism. The PIL was filed by ASEEM and another, seeking release of pending scholarship amounts and a system to prevent future delays.