Shillong, Dec 10: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has sought the intervention of the Union Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment A Narayanswamy for inclusion of Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates in the Dr Ambedkar Centre of Excellence (DACE) scheme implemented by the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
Chairman of KSU Education Cell Raymond Kharjana in a letter to Narayanswamy said, “Moreover, the Union comprehend that since the Tribal Development Division had moved out to form a separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs in October, 1999, the welfare of the ST community no longer fall into the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, but the Union will like to put forth this entreaty before your hon’ble office to kindly permit the inclusion of ST candidates to be part of the DACE Scheme in NEHU on and this will guarantee an special opportunity for the ST community of the State of Meghalaya to gain access to free quality coaching facilities for civil services examinations.”
On April 22, this year Dr Ambedkar Foundation (DAF), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment launched Dr Ambedkar Centres of Excellence (DACE) in 31 Central Universities across the country.
The DACEs are being set up to provide high quality free coaching facilities to the Scheduled Caste students for the Civil Services examinations, conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and on May 23, NEHU signed a MoU with the DAF to launch the DACE scheme in its Campus.
Kharjana said Meghalaya being a state that falls under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, majority of the people residing in the State belong to the Scheduled Tribes community and NEHU was established in 1973 and as for today it has a jurisdiction that extends only to the State of Meghalaya.
He said the Union expressed its gratitude to the Ministry and the Foundation for its concern approach towards the SC community by implementing this scheme that provides assistance to the aspirants from the SC community to appear the Civil Services Examination.
However, on the May 25, the Union through its branch Unit in NEHU had sent its representation to the Vice Chancellor of NEHU that request him to seek an approval from the Ministry and the Foundation to allow the inclusion of the students from the ST community from the State of Meghalaya to be part of the DACE within NEHU, as there is a lack of resources and assistance that will provide high quality coaching facilities for the students of the State to appear for the Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC.
He said due to lack of these coaching facilities, since 2013 there has not been a single IAS/ IPS officers from the State’s ST community.
Furthermore, the Nodal officer of DACE-NEHU on September 12, had written to Dr. Vikas Trivedi, Director of Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment, Government of India requesting him to grant a permission to allow the inclusion of OBC and ST candidates, since there are only 30 SC applicants who appeared and qualified into DACE-NEHU, however till date no approval has been grant for such inclusion of ST & OBC into DACE NEHU.
