Shillong: The North East MP’s Forum has urged the Union government to introduce a scholarship scheme worth Rs 10 crore per annum for students of the Northeastern region who are keen to appear in the Union Public Service Commission l examinations.
In a letter addressed to Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister, Gangapuram Kishan Reddy on Wednesday, former Union Minister and Secretary General of the forum, Vincent H.Pala, said there is an immediate need for intervention by the ministry to identify the deserving and needy civil services aspirants to undergo coaching at Delhi or at state capitals.
He suggested a scholarship scheme with an amount worth Rs 10 crore per annum that can be evenly distributed to each of the eight North Eastern states.
“In this scheme a coaching institute of national repute with good success rate from North East and having presence in the region should identified immediately,” Pala noted in the letter.
Pointing out that except for a few successful candidates from Manipur and Assam, the parliamentarian said the gap is growing dramatically.
Pala said that despite all state government’s efforts, in 2017 the region could produce only 24 successful candidates, though considered the highest ever in the North East, is still on the low.
Ever since the results consistently declined instead of increasing when the region had only 13 successful candidates in 2018, and 11 in 2019 and dropped to just nine in 2020.
The forum further said that there are many bright students from North East, but they are not able to succeed because of lack of guidance and facilities.
