‘Blatant injustice’: GIO, students demand MANF minority scholarship be restored

NEW DELHI: Student organisations and political leaders across the country are demanding immediate withdrawal of the Central government’s recent decision to discontinue the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scheme.

In a written reply in Lok Sabha, the minister of minority affairs Smriti Irani said, “Since the MANF Scheme overlaps with various other fellowship Schemes for higher education being implemented by the Government and minority students are already covered under such Schemes, hence the Government has decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme from 2022-23.”

Condemning the move, the National Federation of Girls Islamic Organisation (GIO) urged to reverse the decision immediately and reinstate the scholarship at the earliest. Calling it a “blatant injustice” to the minority communities, the GIO said, “The Union Minister Smriti Irani’s response that the scheme overlaps with several other schemes evidently indicates the State’s ignorance towards the socio-economic conditions of the minorities in the country.”

“The MANF scholarship, implemented in 2009 on the recommendation of the Sachar Committee report, facilitated the inflow of minority students to the premier institutions and central universities, enabling the presence of minority voices on these campuses.”

“By eliminating minority scholarships, a concerted effort is being made to institutionally exclude socially backward communities from the education sector.” It further said that the recent move by the government to revoke pre-matric scholarships for students up to Class 8 is also part of the same “discrimination agenda”.

Meanwhile, students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University staged a protest on MANF issue yesterday at 6 PM on campus.

Member of Parliament, Thrissur, TN Prathapan tweeted, “I strongly demanded for immediate withdrawal of GOI’s decision to stop MANF. Had an informal talk with Smriti Irani in which I was given assurance that no existing beneficiaries will be stopped from availing MANF. Govt shall continue this fellowship!”