What Challenges Are Dalit Students Facing in Aligarh's Education System?

Lucknow, June 29 (NationPress) The chief of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Mayawati, raised significant concerns on Sunday regarding the scholarship issues confronting Dalit students at colleges linked to Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

She asserted that uncertainty hangs over the education of approximately 3,500 Dalit students and called for the immediate intervention of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Taking to the social media platform X, Mayawati highlighted the government's inability to distribute scholarships on time to thousands of SC/ST students across various districts affiliated with Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University, which has resulted in widespread anxiety and frustration among the populace.

According to her, despite numerous communications from the university and district authorities, the insensitivity and negligence demonstrated by the Social Welfare Department in Lucknow have posed a serious risk to the educational prospects of around 3,500 Dalit students.

Mayawati noted that this university in Aligarh was established through the dedicated efforts of Chief Minister Adityanath, expressing her hopes that he would take a personal interest in resolving this critical issue swiftly.

It is worth mentioning that for several days, students at Raja Mahendra Singh University in Aligarh have been engaged in protests demanding scholarships for Dalits.

University officials stated they are working towards a resolution for the ongoing issue.

In response, Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad expressed his deep distress and anger over the discrimination and humiliation faced by Scheduled Caste students.

He claimed, "The Scheduled Caste students have been treated unjustly concerning their scholarship rights, and an attempt was made to demean them."

According to the students, when they approached the Vice Chancellor regarding their rejected scholarship applications, they faced insults based on their attire and social background. One student was told, "You are a labourer's son; you should have been wearing slippers," Azad recounted.

Condemning the officials for their inhumane conduct, Azad noted that it contravenes Articles 15 and 17 of the Indian Constitution.

He urged the Uttar Pradesh government and university administration to initiate a high-level investigation into the rejected scholarship applications of Dalit students and to conduct an independent judicial inquiry into the insults and threats faced by them.

The Nagina MP stated he would raise this issue in both Parliament and on the streets, asserting that this struggle is not merely for the students but for the Constitution and social justice.