Fee reimbursement cut off year kicks up storm

Hyderabad: The Telangana government's decision to consider 1956 as a cut off year for nativity has evoked sharp criticism from educationists, political parties and student groups, with all of them calling it impractical and unscientific.

Prominent educationists have opined that having such a distant cut off would not serve any purpose and that it would appear like the government was trying to run away from its responsibilities.

Noted educationist and MLC Prof K Nageshwar said that the bench mark set by state government was not only unscientific but also impractical. He said that procuring certificates dating back to 58 years was not possible.

He said, 'State government's cut off is four times more than what Mulki rules stipulate and it is highly impractical.' He said that this scheme was going against the right of individuals to stay anywhere across the country.

Communist Party of India (CPI) Telangana state secretary K Narayana termed the cut off set by state government as 'totally unscientific'. He said that there was no need to create such mayhem on the fee reimbursement issue and it should be done according to the existing rules. He wondered what would be the fate of people who were born after 1956.

'It is not correct to choose 1956 as cut off,' he said. Telangana Engineering and Professional College Management Association (TEPCMA) chairman N Goutham Rao said that fixing a cut off year for fee reimbursement is the discretion of state government. He said that government has not released the GO pertaining to nativity with modalities yet.

He said, 'It is premature to comment on this issue but one thing is clear that 1956 is for fee reimbursement and not for admission.' Nevertheless, he opined that students would have to 'suffer' because of this criterion.

After the announcement of Telangana state cabinet to this effect, Andhra Pradesh HRD Minister Ganta Srinivas Rao criticized the move and advised Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao not to create constitutional crisis.

He said that Telangana government's decision was against the constitutional provisions. Announcing a separate scheme, Financial Assistance for the Students of Telangana (FAST), Telangana cabinet has decided to set 1956 as the criteria for determining the nativity of students.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad state president Jamalpur Niranjan said that at least now Telangana government should release the arrears of fee reimbursement to students who have passed out from various colleges.

Raising objections on choosing 1956 as reference year, he said that this would force even local students of Telangana to have a tough time to prove their nativity. He said, 'Now Telangana students have to procure the details of parents and grandparents which the government itself does not have.'

Students Federation of India (SFI) state secretary Shobhan Mood said that government should talk to experts, educationists and student groups on such issues and take decisions in the larger interests of the public.

Earlier, TRS promised reimbursement to all students born in Telangana, but now it seems to be deviating from the promise by announcing 1956 as a cut off for nativity, he said.