Delay in card issuance leave scholarship students struggling
The scholarship scheme provides fee exemptions to students from socially and economically disadvantaged communities, including those from SC, ST, and economically weaker sections. However, students report that it currently takes 4-5 days to receive the freeship card after securing admission. In the interim, many colleges are allegedly refusing to accept freeship card tokens as proof of eligibility for the scholarship and are pressuring students to pay full fees upfront to confirm their seats.
This situation has sparked widespread anger among students who depend on the scheme to access higher education. In Gujarat University-affiliated colleges, freeship card holders are entitled to full fee exemption, with the department of social justice and empowerment directly reimbursing the fees to institutions.
You Can Also Check:
Ahmedabad AQI
|
Weather in Ahmedabad
|
Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad
|
Public Holidays in Ahmedabad
The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) submitted a formal complaint to the Gujarat University vice chancellor, demanding strict action against colleges violating the policy. The student body has also urged the university to ensure refunds to students who were compelled to pay full fees despite being eligible for exemption and called for disciplinary measures against erring college authorities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Congress Dalit leaders meet at Parameshwara's residence, discuss internal quota
Ministers and MLAs belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) community of the Congress held a meeting at the residence of Home Minister G. Parameshwara in the city on Saturday, amid a demand for implementing the internal quota among SC groups. Besides Dr. Parameshwara, three Ministers — Shivaraj Tangadagi, K.H. Muniyappa, R.B. Thimmapur — and 20 MLAs attended the meeting and reportedly discussed issues related to internal quota and intra-party unity among leaders. Minister Priyank Kharge did not attend the meeting since he was in Delhi with regard to the IT/BT programme, sources said. In January, Dr. Parameshwara planned to hold a dinner meeting of Dalit leaders, which sparked off a controversy and was eventually called off after intervention from the party high command. Sources said the meeting of SC Congress leaders was convened to resolve inner differences before the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission submits its report on internal quota to the government. A couple of days ago, Dr. Parameshwara told reporters: 'We will get to know everyone's opinions on the internal quota issue.' The commission, which had monitored the two-month survey, is expected to come out with a formula to divide the 17% reservation for SCs amongst the different sub-groups based on their population and backwardness. The Dalit left has fought for internal reservation on the grounds that they have been historically deprived of reservation benefits.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Cong slams proposed zila panchayat reservation, alleges ‘bias' to block rivals; BJP replies
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand govt on Friday issued a provisional reservation list for district panchayat chairperson posts across 12 districts—drawing strong objections from the opposition Congress, which alleged that the move was "politically motivated and designed to benefit ruling party candidates". Objections to the proposal have been invited between Aug 2 and 4, with a final decision expected on Aug 6. According to the proposed list, the zila panchayat seats of Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital, and Champawat have been left unreserved, while Tehri, Pauri, Dehradun, Rudraprayag, and Almora are reserved for women. Udham Singh Nagar is reserved for OBC, Bageshwar for SC women, and Pithoragarh for SC candidates. Congress veteran and six-time MLA Pritam Singh, whose son Abhishake Singh recently won as a zila panchayat member from Dehradun, strongly objected to the reservation of Dehradun for women, effectively disqualifying his son from contesting. He alleged that the ruling "BJP manipulated the process" to prevent Abhishake from running. "Since the beginning of the panchayat poll process, the govt made several attempts to use power to its advantage, it even tried to misuse the reservation of seats. People had approached the court," Singh said. Dehradun's current zila panchayat chairperson Madhu Chauhan, wife of BJP MLA Munna Singh Chauhan, has held the post since 2019 and is a strong contender again. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Historic Cars Every Enthusiast Should Know Undo "To stop my son, the govt has committed wrongdoing in the reservation process. But Congress members must not lose hope—we have the support of Uttarakhand's people. We will not accept this reservation," Singh said. Former CM Harish Rawat extended his support and "warned the govt to "correct the mistake before it's too late". Rawat alleged that the BJP was weaponising reservation to target a specific individual, undermining its constitutional purpose. Sharing his views on social media, Rawat wrote, "Power and politics must understand that reservation is a right, not a weapon. This constitutional right is granted to promote social justice and harmony. Unfortunately, the authorities in Uttarakhand are using reservation to settle scores with political opponents and for personal gain. We have consistently observed that the BJP is using this sacred right for unholy political purposes in municipal and rural council elections. Had the reservation for district councils been announced along with others, many candidates might have reconsidered their decision to run for election." Meanwhile, BJP media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan told TOI, "After seeing the result, the Congress members are scared. People have once again voted against them. Let me remind them that the proposed reservation list has been announced based on the Panchayati Raj rules framed by the Congress govt back in 2016. Now they are opposing it, which is quite hilarious." He added that it was not the final list and the Congress could file objections to any seat they wanted. "But instead, they are choosing to give false and misleading statements in the media rather than submitting their objections," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Technology can break geographical barriers, bring legal aid to doorstep: SC judge Surya Kant
Chandigarh, Supreme Court judge Surya Kant on Saturday emphasised that technology can break barriers and bring legal aid to the doorstep of every citizen and said if harnessed inclusively, it can bridge persistent gaps in the judicial system. Technology can break geographical barriers, bring legal aid to doorstep: SC judge Surya Kant The digital divide is very real, he said and asserted that "the task before us is not simply to create digital solutions, but to ensure that these solutions are inclusive". Justice Kant was delivering the 'Justice R C Lahoti Memorial Lecture' at Manav Rachna University in Haryana's Faridabad on the topic of 'Bridging the Gap: Reimagining Legal Aid in the Digital Age for Inclusive Justice in India.' Noting that Article 39A of the Constitution calls upon the state to provide free legal aid to ensure that no citizen is denied justice because of economic or other disabilities, he said India is among the few nations to constitutionally mandate legal aid. "Yet, the stark truth is that vast sections of our population rural citizens, the urban poor, women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly still encounter formidable barriers in accessing justice," observed Justice Kant. He said these may be barriers of awareness, geography, language, money, physical mobility or social stigma. "Legal aid, as we have conceived it for decades, has often been limited to the provision of free or subsidised legal representation," he said. "More than seven decades since Independence, we must ask: Is justice truly accessible to all? For millions across India migrant workers, tribal communities, daily wage earners, women abandoned by families, undertrial prisoners the legal system remains distant and unintelligible," he said. Access is hampered not only by poverty but also by illiteracy, gender, caste, and now, digital exclusion, said Justice Kant. Citing his recent visit to Srinagar for the launch of some National Legal Services Authority schemes, he said a young tribal boy shared the hardships his community continues to face despite many schemes and welfare measures. "What he said has stayed with me: that all the welfare schemes will remain ineffective until the tribal families get sustenance so that they can afford to send their children to school and get the basic education that may qualify them to take advantage of benefits like reservations in employment. "His words were a poignant reminder that justice and welfare must begin with the fundamentals, without which empowerment remains incomplete," he said. Justice Kant said the current framework rooted predominantly in brick-and-mortar models of service delivery faces inherent limitations and said in this context, the digital revolution presents a compelling opportunity. Justice Kant said the digital age has transformed how we live, communicate, learn and interact with institutions. "Technology is not a panacea, but it is an extraordinary enabler. India today has nearly 1.2 billion mobile connections, and approximately 85.5 per cent of households possess at least one smartphone," he said. Yet, access to justice remains largely analogue, he said, adding that courts are online, laws are also digitised, but quality legal aid has yet to trickle down to the last person in line. "The digital divide has become the new face of inequality. But herein lies the opportunity. With the right vision and safeguards, technology can break geographical barriers, democratise legal awareness, and bring legal aid to the doorstep, or rather the palm of every citizen. "If harnessed thoughtfully and inclusively, it can bridge the persistent gaps in our justice system," he said. Noting that in the country, mobile phone penetration far surpasses internet-equipped computers, he said NALSA's legal literacy programmes must be recast for the digital age. "Imagine a NALSA 'Companion' mobile application, offering step-by-step guidance, accessible in every scheduled language, using voice, video, and text. It could answer fundamental legal queries, explain rights and entitlements, and connect the users to volunteer lawyers or paralegals," he said. "Pre-recorded legal advice via interactive voice response can serve the visually impaired or illiterate. Artificial Intelligence can simplify legal documents, translate orders into regional languages," he said. He said virtual Lok Adalats should also become a reality by harnessing secure video platforms. "Case hearings, especially for family disputes, minor civil issues, labour disputes, can happen with minimum travel and cost, saving litigants time and resources. "Artificial intelligence, if ethically and transparently deployed, can be another game-changer in helping screen cases, prioritise urgent needs, and even generate first-level documents," he said. He also shared that in remote villages of Assam, paralegals are now using mobile phones to record testimonials of domestic violence and connect survivors to pro bono counsel in real time. "During the pandemic, virtual Lok Adalats in Maharashtra disposed of thousands of cases, helping workers recover unpaid wages without stepping outside their homes. In Tamil Nadu, legal aid chatbots in Tamil have been deployed to answer questions on land rights and tenancy," he said. While discussing the untapped potential of technology, Justice Kant cautioned that the excitement of technology must be tempered with restraint. Stating that digital legal aid cannot succeed if citizens are unfamiliar with basic technology, he emphasised that this is the right time for all the stakeholders, including educational institutions, to launch mass campaigns on digital literacy, prioritising women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and rural youth. He also said confidentiality and security are extremely non-negotiable aspects of the digital legal aid programme and said, "As we digitise legal aid, we must design systems with built-in ethics." "Privacy must be paramount; all platforms handling sensitive legal data must comply with rigorous data protection standards. Digital legal aid platforms must be built to serve persons with disabilities, those who use screen readers, and the digitally less literate," he said. "Legal aid cannot become a factory of canned responses. It must not reduce people's problems to ticket numbers. There must always be a human fallback, someone to listen, explain, and reassure. Justice must still listen," he stressed. He further said the role of government and the judiciary as catalysts cannot be overstated. "With ongoing digital initiatives such as Digitally Accessible India, the JAM trinity, and the e-Courts Mission Mode Project, the groundwork is being laid for comprehensive justice reform. To fully realise these ambitions, these government-led digital strategies must converge with justice sector reforms. Meanwhile, the judiciary must remain adaptable, continually updating procedures to seamlessly incorporate digital evidence, remote testimony and electronic records, said the Supreme Court judge. He said that through such collaborative synergy, "we can bring the promise of inclusive digital justice closer to reality". This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
