HYC opposes government's decision on scholarship

Adhar card row

FROM A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Aug 4: A delegation of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Thursday met the Director of Higher and Technical Education demanding the immediate revocation of the advertisement issued by the department which has made it mandatory for students to avail an Aadhaar number to receive the Post Metric Scholarship for the year 2016-17.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Thursday, HYC general secretary Robertjune Khar Jahrin said, “Director Ram Singh was apprised of the issue and he has assured us that he will take up this issue at the earliest with the state government.”

Stating that the Council is strongly against the decision to make the Aadhaar number mandatory, he said that the Council members will also meet the General Administration Department Minister, HDR Lyngdoh.

In this connection he said, “If the Minister can’t give us proper clarification on the Aadhaar number then the Council will have to take other steps and measures to tackle the issue.”

According to him, the Supreme Court of India had said that to have Aadhaar by the citizen of India is an act of voluntary and the state government can’t impose against any citizen to have it mandatorily.

He further said that the Supreme Court had also directed the state and central government to inform the people that Aadhaar is not mandatory.

“Meghalaya and Assam is last on the list in India to implement the Aadhaar number and till date the enrolment has yet to tough 10 percent in the state. However this advertisement has given time for the students only till 31 August to submit their application,” he said adding that if the students can’t avail the Aadhaar number after the said date they will lose their right to avail their scholarship.