Chandel, October 19: The education scenario in the hill districts, particularly the post matric level, has been degenerating at an alarming rate with a large number of students getting themselves enrolled just for the sake of scholarships.

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has been extending scholarship benefits to Scheduled Tribe students to help them pursue higher studies.

Post matric ST students of the State are also provided scholarship benefits with Tribal Development (TD) Department as the implementing agency.

The Department has hundreds of students listed as its beneficiaries even though it remains highly doubtful whether the beneficiary students are actually pursuing higher studies for which the scholarship scheme for ST students was launched exclusively by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Despite such doubtful beneficiaries, the TD Department never under took any verification.

Scholarship benefits are extended to all ST students recommended by college Principals.

A comparative study of the number of students enrolled in the colleges of hill districts and the number of students who gave their exams and attended regular classes clearly revealed that only a few percentage of the beneficiary students have been utilising the scholarship amount for the right purpose while the greater part goes waste.

An exclusive study of the benefits of the scholarship scheme and the number of students receiving scholarships conducted by The Sangai Express in Chandel district revealed a discouraging scenario of education in the district.

During 2004-05, TD Department released a sum of Rs 18,98,350 for 764 ST students of United College, Chandel, Rs 5,64,870 for 271 ST students of South East Manipur College, Rs 5,64,870 for 173 students of Moreh College and Rs 1,16,560 to 52 students of JNV Chandel.

The annual scholarship amount is Rs 1650 for Class XI students (both Arts and Science streams), Rs 2210 for Class XII students, Rs 2110 for TDC 1st year, Rs 2850 for TDC 2nd year and Rs 2980 for TDC 3rd year students, disclosed Principal of United College, Chandel Th Oliver.

Observing that the beneficiaries need to be verified by the respective college Principals in association with TD Dept, Oliver said attendance of classes by students remain very low in the United College too.

To initiate disciplinary actions against absentee students is a risky task in hill districts, he noted.

A student of the College informed that attendance of classes by students is very low and most of the time, classes look vacant and empty.

On the other hand, some genuine students who have been pursuing their studies conveyed that their meagre amount of Rs 1650 per year was too meagre.

It just could not cover the expenses of books and exercise books.

A student need at least Rs 9000 per year, the students observed.

Taking a dig at those students who have given up their studies but receiving scholarship benefits, the students reminded that the scholarship is basically meant to help poor students in their studies.

Such misuse of scholarship fund by pseudo students is disheartening to the genuine students, they conveyed.

Even as large number of students are admitted to their College (United College) every year, a great majority of them never cared to attend classes and just disappeared after ensuring themselves the scholarship benefits.

Strange as it may sound, but the scholarship amount of one Nengchin was found withdrawn by her own sister-in-law.

She is a student of Moreh College while she is a resident of Mongjang village under Tengnoupal A/C.Being a girl and engaged in household chores coupled with the long distance to her College, Nengchin could not attend College regularly.

She did not know the exact amount of scholarship entitled to her.

What is more interesting is that her sister-in-law is a resident of Langol, Imphal.

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