However, the popular belief is that ‘being’ a reserved category (SC/ST/OBC/Minority/PWD) one could simply avail the ‘freebies’ of the institute as well as the government. Not many talk about what one go through to ‘avail’ these ‘freebies’.
When I joined this institute in 2010, I thought, because of my blind optimism and good faith in the government( yes, I was naïve), I thought anyone who qualified/fulfilled the criteria for the scholarship will get it.
However, as life in TISS started unfolding, I realized it was not as easy as I thought it was. My application, along with another girl’s application, was sent back, citing that ‘We do NOT qualify’.
Institute took no further pain, but shifted the burden on to us, and asked us to ‘follow up’ or ‘pay the fees’. Upon following up, on those endless arguments confrontations with the concerned staff of SC Development , Ayyankali Bhavan, I got to know several (stupid) reasons for rejecting the application.
1) SC/ST students who study outside the state are not eligible for GoIPMS. ( I countered it is not the state that laid down the criteria, the Centre says we are, and this is the scholarship by the Centre)
2) If studying outside the state, then the student should be studying in AIIMS or IITs, or NITs( So what about those who do not want to study medicine, engineering or nursing)
3) I should have a hall ticket and rank statement of the All India Medical/Engineering Entrance or JEE ( I do not have any of those, as I DID NOT write those, and do not intend to)
4) We(SC Devt Dept, the state of Kerala) do not give scholarship to Deemed Universities, like Karunya or Manipal etc , and it seems this TISS is a deemed university(they have not heard of TISS)( TISS is a government deemed university, you do not compare TISS with Karunya, because they are different)
I also said, the students who study in TISS too write a national entrance examination, interview, and even have to sit through group discussions. And there is life beyond medicine, engineering and nursing. It is also categorized as top-class education institute by the government. They did not understand, and I met with the Deputy Director, who told me, and I quote :
” I know that it is a great thing to get in an institute like TISS, and it is not easy. However, the present education grant’s rules suggest that we cannot give scholarships to those who do not study in IITs, NITs, or AIIMS. We have not come across this before. The present law has to be altered to accommodate this scenario. There has to be a government order which is to be passed by the ministry. We will try to do that. ”
That DD was transferred to some other department. The government order did not come for another year. Meanwhile, I wrote to the Minister, spoke with the officers in the department, nothing happened. One fine morning, I got a call from the office, saying that Director wanted to speak to me, regarding the scholarship. I later got to know that, in an annual appraisal meeting of the SC departments from all the states, while Kerala boasted of having disbursed the maximum scholarships to SC students, or SC/ST Liaison Officer at that time raised this issue that, despite all these, two students who got admission in the institute were not given the scholarship for saying that students who study here are not eligible. Apparently the Director felt insulted and took out his anger at officers and staff of the scholarship section.
Within a month, the government order was passed,( they showed it to me to prove that they have done enough work),and I received part of the scholarship( do not know what happened to the rest, I did not have much energy left in me to fight again) and unlike before, I was treated with better manners.
They extended the Government Order to ST/OBC/PWD/Minority, and since then many students from Kerala have studied and gone.I thought this was over, but, then history repeats itself– similar was situation with my M.Phil.-PhD fellowship. However, this time, I changed my method. I threatened the Director and it worked. 🙂
I learnt quite a lot:
Such as hardly a few of us from the margins of the ‘Progressive/Developed’ state of Kerala make it to such ‘premier academic spaces’. I do not know whether there were any Dalit student who was eligible for GoI-PMS had studied in TISS prior to 2010, but I assume, if that would be the case, that person either did not avail the scholarship or might have done so, through some other channels. ( I remember one of the important persons(from the state) was willing to speak to the minister and handle the matter for me. I choose not to take his help)
( * not to mention the naturalized bias towards medicine, engineering and nursing)
Let me STRESS: This was made possible by the Constitution of India, and that great man Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar and his revolution.
It was also my first confrontation of the ‘caste question’ in its real sense, not as ‘classes’ as I used to till then. I was unlearning.
**Quite interestingly, all these happened at the time of a CPI(M) ministry which once again reminds me that CPI(M) was never pro-dalit, especially someone who asserts their identity as a Dalit; which in fact, helped me to strengthen my critique of the *developmental/welfare* state of Kerala.
It was tough two years in TISS, trying to situate/locate and redefine my identity as a Dalit, a Dalit Woman, at the meantime, trying to break off ‘communist’ history, seeking an alternate history beyond it.
I thought this was over, but, then history repeats itself– similar was situation with my M.Phil.-PhD fellowship. However, this time, I changed my method. I threatened the Director and it worked. 🙂
Anyways, I am much delighted to know that the RIGHTS has organized a State level Students Convention on Post-Matric Scholarship. I am unable to be physically present there, ( I would have definitely been there , had I been in Kerala) but in spirit and solidarity. I look forward to the updates of the event. So friends, please try to make it to the event.
* I am also interested to know how the CPI(M) ministry is going to respond if a memorandum comes out of this… 😉
The struggle will continue.
“Ours is a battle not for wealth; nor for power, ours is a battle for freedom; for reclamation of human personality” – Dr. Ambedkar
