A group of religious scholars, community leaders, and representatives of various Muslim organisations wrote to Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, expressing deep concern and anguish over the delayed disbursement of post-matric scholarships under the Reimbursement of Tuition Fee (RTF) scheme, which has caused severe distress among minority students by depriving them of crucial support for pursuing higher education.
The letter noted that for the past three years, a significant number of Muslim students in Telangana have not received their scholarship funds, leaving thousands of students, who rely heavily on government support to pursue higher education,” creating a dire situation.”
The letter said that the Congress party, in its manifesto, had promised to increase the post-matric scholarship amount, clear pending arrears under the RTF scheme immediately after coming to power, and introduce the Abdul Kalam Taufa-e-Taaleem Scheme to provide financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh to Muslim, Christian, Sikh, and other minority youth completing M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees.
The letter said it further pledged Rs. 1 lakh for post-graduation, Rs. 25,000 for graduation, Rs. 15,000 for intermediate, and Rs. 10,000 for students passing the 10th grade.
“Unfortunately, none of these promises were implemented, the regularly allocated budget was not utilised, and minority students have been badly ignored and left in the dark,” alleged the group.
According to the Information received from the Minorities Welfare Department. Telangana under RTI, Rs. 300 crore was allocated under the RTF scheme in 2024-25, only Rs. 41.86 crore had been spent as of January 2025. Similarly, in the year 2023-24, out of Rs. 236 crore released, only Rs. 120.30 crore was utilized.
The letter said these figures highlight a substantial gap between budgetary allocations and actual expenditure, reflecting “systemic inefficiencies.”
In the academic year 2024-25, 1.21 lakh students applied for scholarships, yet not a single application has been approved to date, and in 2023-24, out of 1.54 lakh applications, only 40 were approved. In 2022-21, a mere 7,927 out of 163 lakh applications were approved, which the group said is “alarming.”
The letter said the statistics “paint a grim picture of negligence and apathy inward the educational aspirations of minority students in Telangana.”
but also at the institutional level,” where the persistent neglect “threatens not only the educational prospects of these students but also the future of our community.”
It added that while the government claims to be “promoting higher education and setting up different universities,” the ongoing disregard for minority students’ legitimate educational rights contradicts these assertions.
The letter demanded immediate action to resolve the critical issue, urging the government to “issue an order to release and clear pending post-metric scholarship funds immediately.”
It called for a streamlined approval process to ensure that all eligible students receive support, with “reasons for rejection provided” where applicable. The letter also emphasized the need to “make the scholarship process more transparent” and to establish a grievance redressal system to address issues such as colleges detaining students’ original educational certificates.
Furthermore, it demanded the constitution of “State and District level committees to monitor the implementation of the scholarship scheme,” involving community leaders, NGOs, student organization representatives, district collectors, district minorities welfare officers, and other government agencies to resolve students’ issues.
The letter requested urgent attention to this matter to restore “hope to youth and to the Congress government” in the state, who claim commitment towards “socio-economic empowerment of Minority Community.”
The letter was signed by several prominent leaders, including Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board; Moulana Shah Jamal ur Rahman Miftahi, Ameer e Shariat of Telangana & AP; Dr. M Khalid Mubashir uz Zafar, President of JIH Telangana; Moulana Hussamuddin Saani Jafar Pasha, Ameer Millat-e-Islamia, TG & AP; Moulana Mufti Ghayasuddin Rahmani, President of Jamiat e Ulama TG & AP; Mohd Faraz Ahmed, State President of SIO Telangana; Moulana Gayas Ahmed Rashadi, President of Safa Bait ul Maal; Mufti Omar Abideen Qasmi Madani, General Secretary of All India Milli Council Telangana; Moulana Shafeeq Alam Jama’i, Ameer of Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Hyderabad; Mufti Sadiq Mohiuddin Faheem Nizami, President of United Muslim Forum TS; Moulana Syed Taqi Raza Abedi, President of Fanzeem e Jaffari; and Dr. Syed Rizwan Pasha Quadri, President of Quran Academy.
Amjed Ullah Khan, spokesman of Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT), said, “This is not neglect, it’s abandonment of student futures,” asserting, “This isn’t just a statistic, it’s thousands of shattered dreams. Where is the accountability?”
The Narendra Modi government has been accused of targeting minority scholarships with budget cuts and the discontinuation of specific schemes, sparking concerns and debates.
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