Telangana HC Seeks Action On Pending Minority Scholarships
Hyderabad, Jan. 29 (Maxim News): The Telangana High Court on Thursday expressed serious concern over delays in releasing post matric scholarships for minority students and sought immediate corrective action from the State government.
The court said prolonged procedural lapses were depriving economically vulnerable students of timely educational support.
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G M Mohiuddin questioned why scholarship bills were routinely pending with the Finance Department.
The judges observed that such delays had become an annual issue, directly affecting students who depended on government reimbursements to continue their studies.
Counsel for the petitioners, Syed Mounis Abidi, informed the court that while the Minority Welfare Department filed its counter affidavit within the stipulated time, the Finance Department failed to respond despite repeated opportunities.
He stated that scholarship proposals were forwarded by the Minority Welfare Department but remained unattended at the finance level.
The Bench noted that these delays had wider consequences. It pointed out that several private colleges were violating a government circular issued on February 23, 2024, which directed institutions not to withhold original certificates of students awaiting fee reimbursement.
The judges remarked that retaining certificates for months could permanently damage a student’s academic and career prospects.
They observed that students availing scholarships due to financial hardship were being forced to approach courts for release of certificates, adding litigation costs to their burden.
The court also questioned the absence of an effective enforcement mechanism to ensure colleges followed government instructions.
It asked the State whether any grievance cell, toll free number, or help desk existed to address student complaints in real time.
The Bench observed that the lack of such a system resulted in unnecessary litigation, with students approaching courts and rights bodies individually. It stressed that administrative failures should not translate into personal losses for students.
Granting the Finance Department two weeks to file its counter affidavit, the court adjourned the matter to March 3, 2026, for further hearing.
It also directed the Minority Welfare Department to establish a proper grievance redressal mechanism to prevent recurrence of such issues.
The court referred to admissions in the department’s counter affidavit confirming that sanctions were pending with the Finance Department. The judges said accountability was essential to ensure timely scholarship disbursal.
The PIL was filed by ASEEM and SIO Telangana, represented by advocates Syed Mounis Jafer Abidi and Syed Ghiyasuddin. The petition seeks immediate release of pending minority scholarship amounts and a permanent system to avoid future delays. (Maxim News)
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