Mumbai: TISS issues scholarship application notice four days prior to deadline

Students allege that the information about scholarships was kept away from them for months

A notification issued by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on March 16, asking for applications from OBC students for their scholarships, has left the authorities in a tight spot. The notification mentions that the state government had informed the institute about the applications in August 2017. However, the institute issued the notice just four days prior to the deadline (March 23). This has forced the students to believe that crucial information was kept away from them for months and is being shared at the last moment.

Speaking to mid-day, Fahad Ahmad, General Secretary of the students' union, said, "The state government had issued the letter to the institute in August 2017. But we are being informed only now. From what we know, the government started the scholarships for OBC students in 2016 after they failed to include it in the year 2014 due to a technical glitch. Yet, till now we did not know about it. We demand strict action against those who are responsible for this. We are contemplating legal action in the matter," He further said that they plan to meet the government and request for an extension of the deadline.

When contacted, an official from the institute said, "After the government issued the letter in August last year, there was no clarity on whether the process for disbursing the scholarships would be done online or offline. This is what led to the delay. Now that the matter has been sorted, we will approach the Social Welfare Department and request them to extend the deadline. We are trying our best to ensure students are not affected by the delay."

March 23
The deadline for submitting applications for scholarships

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