‘Deplorable hostels, delayed scholarships’: Rahul Gandhi writes letter to PM Modi; demands action on issues of students

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday highlighting two major issues that he says are obstructing educational opportunities for 90 per cent of students belonging to marginalised communities.In the letter dated June 10, Gandhi addressed the poor conditions in residential hostels of students from backward communities and delays in their post-matric scholarships. "Firstly, the conditions in residential hostels for students from Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority communities are deplorable," the Congress leader said.Recalling his visit to the Ambedkar Hostel in Darbhanga, Bihar, he said students had shared several concerns about the state of the facilities.

These included overcrowded rooms where 6–7 students were forced to share a single space, unhygienic toilets, unsafe drinking water, no proper mess facilities, and a complete lack of access to libraries or the internet.Gandhi also drew attention to the severe delays in disbursing post-matric scholarships to those those from marginalised communities. He cited the example of Bihar, where the scholarship portal had remained non-functional for three years, resulting in no student receiving aid during that period.

"Even thereafter, the number of Dalit students receiving scholarships fell by nearly half, from 1.36 lakh in FY23 to 0.69 lakh in FY24. Students further complain that the scholarship amounts are insultingly low," he added.Calling for immediate action, Gandhi urged the government to audit all hostels for students from Dalit, Scheduled Tribes (ST), Economically Backward Class (EBC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and minority communities and allocate adequate funds to ensure proper infrastructure, sanitation, food, and academic support. He also emphasised the need for the timely disbursement of post-matric scholarships and an increase in the amounts awarded.Gandhi said that although he cited Bihar as an example in his letter, such failures are prevalent all across the country.