Minority students fear losing out on academic year as with August almost over, theres still no news on admission process under the scheme
The scheme allows free coaching facilities for deserving minority students from underprivileged backgrounds. Representative pic/Istock
Naya Savera – a scheme by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has not seen daylight this academic year. The scheme which allows free coaching facilities for deserving minority students from underprivileged backgrounds has not even started the application process.
Deserving students, under this scheme, can apply for admission to coaching institutes for competitive examinations such as civil services, medical and engineering entrance tests among all for free coaching for a year.
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Mohammad Hasan Momin, son of an Urdu school teacher and a NEET aspirant said, "Our financial background is not such that I can join a coaching institute for NEET. The scheme ensured some hope as it can help me get coaching for free if I could be the deserving candidate. But August is almost done and yet there's no news of even the application process," he said.
Another candidate, Zahid said, "Under this scheme, we get free coaching for a year whereas as per general practice, others take training for at least two years. Now even if they start the process, we will still lag as the online classes for new batches have already begun."
Mohammad Hasan Momin, NEET aspirant
Shrenik Kotecha from Mahesh Tutorials, one of the institutes certified by for free coaching in Maharashtra, said, "Generally by August admissions are over under this scheme. But this year it has yet not started."
The Students Islamic Organization (SIO) of India also wrote to the Ministry of Minority Affairs at both state and central level seeking resolution. "The implementation of Naya Savera in Maharashtra has been plagued with various issues, depriving deserving minority students of availing of this scheme. The coaching institutes across the state are yet to begin the admission process of the scheme, even though they are already teaching their regular students through online classes. Due to this delay, the classes won't get adequate time to prepare students for various entrance tests and the students won't be able to fully benefit from the scheme," Salman Ahmed, Zonal President (South Maharashtra) of SIO said.
When contacted Nawab Malik, Minority Development minister of state government, said, "Since it is a central ministry scheme, we cannot directly resolve the issue. The ministry is closely following up with the central ministry to resolve this."
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