On Friday, November 28, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced the release of the second and last installment of the Umbrella Post Matric Scholarship for over 70,000 students for the 2024-25 academic year, totaling Rs 130 crore.
During his speech, Sangma explained that the state government is releasing the entire scholarship sum from its own resources because it has yet to receive funds from the union government, Times of India reports.
Previously, rules prohibited the advance transfer of scholarships; however, the state has devised a system with the federal government to allow for earlier disbursement.
After the Rs 130 crore is sent to the Meghalaya Rural Bank, processing and account verification would take many days before students receive the funds. He encouraged students to make sure their bank accounts were connected to Aadhaar.
Sangma reaffirmed that education is still a primary priority for the administration. He stated that reforms addressing long-standing challenges faced by ad hoc and SSA teachers are nearing completion and could be implemented in the coming fiscal year.
The event was held at the district auditorium and was attended by Education Minister Lakhmen Rymbui, Commissioner and Secretary of Education Vijay Kumar Mantri, West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal, and Director of Higher and Technical Education Hazel DB Sangma.
The programme also had thousands of students virtually joining from 200 locations across the state. Sangma used this opportunity to present the government's long-term goals, which includes youth-oriented projects including CM Elevate, YESS Meghalaya, PRIME, MGMP, STAR, and Hello Meghalaya.
