Arunachal student leader opposes transfer of tribal scholarship scheme to social justice department citing mismanagement

Student leader Charpo Taffo Sonam has publicly criticized the state government's decision to transfer the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme from the Department of Education to the Social Justice, Empowerment, and Tribal Affairs (SJETA) Department. The scholarship program, under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, was previously managed by SJETA but was moved to the Department of Education following allegations of mismanagement.

Speaking at a press conference, Sonam claimed that the students had initially demanded the shift of the scholarship scheme to the Department of Education due to alleged misappropriation and mishandling by SJETA during the 2016-17 academic year. The Department of Education took over the program and has since been responsible for its implementation.

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However, a recent government notification has mandated the return of all files, beneficiary data, and other related documents back to the SJETA Department for "smooth implementation" of the scholarship program. The notification also states that the Education Department must transfer any unspent funds to SJETA for the academic year 2024-25.

Sonam questioned the decision, expressing concern over SJETA's ability to manage the scheme effectively given its previous failures. "Our concern is that when the SJETA department had failed in implementing the said scheme due to lack of proper guidelines, how can we trust the SJETA Department again?" he asked.

Calling for a permanent resolution to the scholarship issue, Sonam accused the state government of complicating matters further with this latest move. He announced plans to submit a formal representation to the Chief Minister and the Department of Education to oppose the notification, urging public support for his cause.