The Human Rights Defenders Network, formed by the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) of Lumbini Province, has demanded an increase in the scholarship amount provided to Dalit students and non-Dalit female students.
Submitting a memorandum along with a study report to the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law of Lumbini Province, the network stated that the scholarships for Dalit students and non-Dalit girls, which have been in place for the past 20 years, are no longer relevant in the current context. It noted that both the Dalit scholarship and the non-Dalit girls’ scholarship currently provide Rs. 400 per year, which it described as insufficient and not aligned with present-day needs. The network has demanded that the amount be increased to at least Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 3,000.
Stating that the scholarship intended to support education for Dalit and non-Dalit girls is not even sufficient to buy basic stationery such as notebooks and pens, the network has urged the provincial government to revise the amount so that it can at least cover minimum annual educational expenses for students from poor Dalit and non-Dalit backgrounds. It further argued that such a limited scholarship cannot contribute to eliminating caste and gender-based discrimination, and called for creating an environment that enables marginalized children to access and continue schooling.
Network members Nirmala Sunar, Mohammad Jahir Sheikh, Sonu Singh BK, Bijay Malla, Dhani Wali, and INSEC representative Laxmi Kumari Tharu submitted separate memorandums to Begam KC, Chief of the Planning Division at the Ministry of Social Development, and Kesari Sharma, an officer at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law, after conducting an on-site study of the scholarship situation in various schools of Bhaluband, Dang.