Govt's excuse to scrap MANF, subsidy for education loans grossly irrational, arbitrary: P Chidambaram

NEW DELHI: Congress leader P Chidambaram slammed the central government today for scrapping the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), which allowed students from minority communities to pursue their master of philosophy (MPhil) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) programme. He stated that by taking such moves, the centre is openly displaying its anti-minority policy.

P Chidambaram on his official handle tweeted, "The Government's excuse for scrapping the Maulana Azad National Fellowship and the subsidy for education loans to study abroad to minority students is grossly irrational and arbitrary".

Also read | No proposal to restore MANF, Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme; Govt tells Lok Sabha

The Government's excuse for scrapping the Maulana Azad National Fellowship and the subsidy for education loans to study abroad to minority students is grossly irrational and arbitrary.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 4, 2023

Earlier in Lok Sabha, Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani had said, “As the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme overlaps with various fellowship schemes for higher education, the government has decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme from 2022-23.”

Also read | Centre to discontinue Maulana Azad National Fellowship scheme for minority communities

Questioning over the central government decision on MANF, P Chidambaram said: "Even admitting that there are 'overlapping' schemes, are the fellowship and subsidy to minority students the only schemes that overlap with another scheme?"

"MGNREGA overlaps PM KISAN. Old age pension overlaps MGNREGA in the case of old workers. There are dozens of such overlapping schemes. The government is on overdrive to make life more difficult for minority students," he added.

Even admitting that there are 'overlapping' schemes, is the fellowship and subsidy to minority students the only schemes that overlap with another scheme?

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 4, 2023

The central government has decided to discontinue the MANF scheme from this academic year. The beneficiaries under the MANF scheme are covered in the three scholarship schemes such as pre-matric scholarship scheme, post-matric scholarship scheme and merit-cum-means based scholarship scheme.

In 2009 the MANF scheme was initiated to provide five-year financial assistance to students from communities including Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis and Sikhs.