New Delhi — In a coordinated nationwide effort, delegations from the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO) have met with Members of Parliament across the country, pressing for urgent intervention on issues concerning fellowships for minority, OBC, SC, ST, and Non-NET students.
Through a detailed memorandum, the SIO has demanded immediate disbursement of pending Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) funds along with compensation for delays. The student body has also called for the reinstatement of MANF, Padho Pardesh, and the Pre-Matric scholarship schemes for minorities, all of which have faced funding cuts or been discontinued.
The memorandum further highlights the need for transparency and timely publication of selection lists for the National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC), along with restoring trust in the fellowship allocation system. SIO has urged the government to revise the fellowship amounts and House Rent Allowance (HRA) to reflect inflation and the growing cost of living, particularly in urban areas.
It also raises concern over the blacklisting of institutions on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), demanding a transparent review process and reinstatement of legitimate educational institutions.
SIO delegations presented the memorandum to several Members of Parliament, including:
Amra Ram (Sikar, Rajasthan)
Kesineni Chinni (Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh)
Vamsi Krishna Gaddam (Peddapalli, Telangana)
Hibi Eden (Ernakulam, Kerala)
ET Muhammed Basheer (Ponnani, Kerala)
MK Raghavan (Kozhikode, Kerala)
Adv. Haris Beeran (Rajya Sabha)
Durai Vaiko (Trichy, Tamil Nadu)
Khalilur Rahman (Jangipur, West Bengal)
G Kumar Naik (Raichur, Karnataka)
Mohammad Jawed (Kishanganj, West Bengal)
Suresh Shetkar (Zaheerabad, Telangana)
SIO leaders reported that their memorandum to Congress MP Mohammad Jawed has yielded an initial success, with the Department of Expenditure approving the release of pending MANF funds via the PM YASASVI scheme.
“This is a welcome step, but our struggle continues,” the SIO said in a statement. “We remain steadfast in our fight against deliberate delays, budget cuts, and the discontinuation of fellowships crucial for students from marginalised communities. Regularisation and equitable distribution of fellowships remain our core demands.”
The organisation affirmed that it will persist in engaging with policymakers and pushing for systemic reforms to ensure educational justice for all disadvantaged sections.
