ABVP urges UGC for guidelines on scholarships for GPAT qualified pharmacy students

NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) submitted a memorandum to the UGC Chairman requesting clear rules on scholarships for students pursuing pharmacy at university-affiliated institutes after passing the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test. While pharmacy students enrolling in university departments receive scholarships, those attending university-affiliated institutions do not. The ABVP seeks guidelines to address this disparity.

The ABVP press release read, “Upon qualifying for the Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test (GPAT), students were promised a scholarship of Rs 12,500. Over 8000 students enrolled in colleges affiliated with the university, anticipating the scholarship's assistance for their educational pursuits. Unfortunately, due to ambiguous guidelines from the UGC, these students face difficulties in accessing scholarships for the current academic session.”

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Demands to UGC

The ABVP has underlined the following demands in the memorandum presented to UGC.

• A prompt resolution to the scholarship issue for pharmacy students enrolled in university-affiliated institutions.
• The registration form deadline to be extended by one month to help students comprehend the procedure.
• Provide clear and straightforward directions and guidelines, supplemented by a flow chart depicting the scholarship application and registration process for better understanding.

Yagywalkya Shukla, national general secretary, ABVP stated "Pharmacy students in colleges affiliated with the university deserve scholarships as promised by UGC. We have submitted a memorandum to UGC, demanding immediate decisions and clear guidelines on GPAT scholarships and related matters to rectify this situation."