An Appeal to Uttarakhand Government by Mewar University and its reply on so called scholarship Scam in Uttrakhand
Mewar University is a reputed university, set up by the Government of Rajasthan, through Act. No. 4 of 2009, and has nearly 7000 students from 23 states pursuing different streams. Nearly 90% students are from rural background, whereas nearly 75% of these students are from socially and economically deprived sections of the society, including Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
During session 2014-15, around 400 students from Uttrakhand took admission under scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories. Similarly, 125 students from this state took admission in 2015-16 session. Since these students had come under government scholarship, their registration was done on the website of the Social Welfare Board immediately. In opening bank accounts, only part the university authorities played was to urge the bank manager to open the accounts as they considered them to be students of the university. Moreover, openingof bank accounts was done by the students themselves or their consultants.
Therefore, to say that the University opened fraudulent accounts, is absolutely wrong. After their admission, students were to come and study as regular students. When they did not turn up, they were telephoned. Letters were written to all of them. Yet, when the students did not turn up for study, their admissions were canceled. Due information was given to concerned officers of social welfare deptt. Govt. of Uttrakhand and requested them to cancel scholarship claims. All these aforesaid actions were taken by the university even before the vigilance lodged police complaint.
We wish to make it clear that the university has not received any scholarship money from any of these students or the state government of Uttrakhand. Nor does the university intend to receive any money from them. It would be fair to place on record here that the university, on its part, never demanded any scholarship. The university also did not verify that these students are studying here.
Furthermore, Uttarakhand Governor, Chief Minister and Vigilance Department director - Additional DGP have been informed in writing about the entire sequence of events. The allegations being levelled against the University are baseless and not true. We request Uttarakhand Vigilance department officials not to file wrong and false cases on charges that are without any basis.
We also earnestly request the government officials from the state and those from Vigilance not to mislead the people by giving it the name “scholarship scam”. When we have not received any fund from the government, how can anyone allege of embezzlement of money or call it a scam.
The amount of Rs. 3.64,400 was transferred to 28 students’ accounts by the Social Welfare Department, so the departments’ officials must have done physical verification of those students. That money has also been seized and taken back by the Social Welfare Department. Still if Uttrakhand Vigilance thinks the university is guilty and needs information from us, then we assure that we will continue cooperating with the investigation as it has been done so far by the university.
We also request the concerned authorities not to indulge in tarnishing the hard earned reputation of the university. We also urge them not to harass any officer or employee of the University or arrest them without solid grounds. We are a law abiding organization, and we have full faith in the Judicial system of India.
Registrar and Mewar University family