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BAREILLY: The state government has ordered district magistrates of all 75 districts to probe minority technical and management institutes for not enrolling 50% students from the minority community. A large number of these institutes were alleged to have admitted students from the SC category in place of minority students. An inquiry into the scholarships awarded to students at these institutes has also been ordered.

Manoj Singh , principal secretary, UP social welfare department , told TOI, “We had received a complaint on IGRS portal that several minority institutions in UP have not followed the set norms and have instead admitted students from other communities. We have asked the DMs across UP to conduct a probe into the matter and submit a report to us. The institutions found guilty will be blacklisted.’’ The DMs have been asked to probe scholarships given to students in 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years.

Jagmohan Singh, district minority welfare officer of Bareilly and Badaun , said, “The minority institutes are allowed to admit students without counseling or entrance exam. While the scholarship given to minority students depends on the availability of funds, students belonging to the SC category get a 100% fee reimbursement from the central government. We have received complaints alleging that some minority institutions gave 100% admissions to SC students so that they could eventually pocket the scholarship amount given by the Centre for the SC students.”

An official who did not wish to be named, said, “The institutions try to take advantage of the delay in release of funds by the Centre for SC students. There have been instances in which the government has released funds after two-three years of the session. In the absence of funds, the institutes ask students to submit fees for the final exams from their own pocket. However, when the funds are actually received, the institutes do not reimburse students. From 2016-17, the government started transferring the money directly to students’ accounts.”

Singh had recently written to the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions for cancelling the minority status of an institute situated in Sheshwan area of Badaun after an internal inquiry confirmed that the college hadn’t given admissions to the minority students who had applied there.