Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the deplorable conditions in residential hostels for Dalit, ST, OBC, EBC, and minority students, and expressing concern over the delay in post-matric scholarship disbursements for students from marginalised communities.
Urging immediate action on what he described as two “critical issues which hinder education opportunities for the 90% of students who are from marginalised communities,” Rahul Gandhi wrote that the conditions in residential hostels for Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC, and minority students are “deplorable.”
Referring to a visit to the Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, Bihar, he noted that “students complained about single rooms which 6-7 students were forced to share, unhygienic toilets, unsafe drinking water, lack of mess facilities, and no access to libraries or the internet.”
He also raised serious concerns about the delay and failure in disbursing post-matric scholarships.
“In Bihar, the scholarship portal was non-functional for three years; no student received a scholarship in 2021-22,” Gandhi pointed out, adding that the number of Dalit students receiving scholarships dropped drastically from 1.36 lakh in FY23 to 0.69 lakh in FY24.
He further stated that “students complain that the scholarship amounts are insultingly low.”
He urged the government to take immediate steps, including to “audit every hostel for students from Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority communities to ensure good infrastructure, sanitation, food, and academic facilities,” and to “allocate adequate funds to address deficiencies.”
He also called for action to “disburse post-matric scholarships on time, increase scholarship amounts, and improve execution by working closely with state governments.”
“I am sure you agree that India cannot progress unless youth from marginalized communities’ progress. I look forward to your positive response,” he added.
