Kamal Haasan demands Centre help State fund SC/ST education as Post-Matric Scholarship row drags on

Makkal Needhi Maiam President and actor Kamal Haasan has tweeted his support for students in the state and demanded that the government do more to support them financially — especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. 

While he did not specifically mention the issue, Haasan urged that the central government shouldn’t reduce their efforts to lend funds for SC/ST students’ education. “The Centre must give the state what it is demanding. Even a slight deviation by the Centre from the path to social justice is unacceptable,” he said. Over the last month, the Centre and State have been at loggerheads over the Post-Matric Scholarships.

According to a recent report, over 60 lakh senior school students from SC communities are faced with financial crunch after the state was unable to afford the funds since the Centre only funds 10 per cent of the scheme. Usually, the Centre and State take a 60:40 share of scholarships and fellowships for students. The Post-Matric Scholarship gives SC students Rs 18,000 per annum for Class 11 and 12. Since the states are forced to pay up the remaining of the money, 14 states across the country had shut down the scholarships. 

Haasan also tweeted about students who may not be able to attend college because of lack of transport facilities. Colleges in the state have reopened for final year students and Haasan pointed out that students from poor backgrounds can’t avail suburban trains and demanded that the government take immediate action to ensure better facilities for students.