ST students to now get fee exemption, Maharashtra government tells TISS

Students, who have been protesting for almost 45 days have called this a ‘huge victory’.

The Maharashtra government on Friday assured the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) of fee exemption and financial support to Scheduled Tribe (ST) students – current and former.

TISS is made eligible for Post Matric Scholarship (PMS). (HT File)

A letter sent to the institute put an end to the misunderstanding between the state and Centre on the deemed university status of TISS, making it non-eligible for state reimbursement as it wasn’t a public university.

“TISS is made eligible for Post Matric Scholarship (PMS). Applications of 2017-18 and arrears, if any, are in process. Scholarships will be disbursed to eligible candidates within 15 days,” said the letter dated April 6. It further states that TISS has been mapped on the online system for scholarships; therefore, all eligible students of post matriculation courses, along with MPhil, can apply.

A bandh was called by the TISS Students’ Union on February 21 to protest the institute’s decision to withdraw fee waiver to SC, ST and OBC students eligible for the Government of India Post Matric Scholarship (GoI-PMS) last year. The state has sent this letter to the central Ministry of Tribal Affairs. The status of students from the Schedule Caste (SC) category, however, still remains unclear.

Students, who have been protesting for almost 45 days have called this a ‘huge victory’.