Vivekananda scholarship given to how many? HC asks govt

Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court Thursday directed the state govt to provide comprehensive details about the implementation of the Vivekananda Scholarship (formerly known as Rajiv Gandhi Scholarship), for meritorious students studying abroad, since its inception in 2021 till 2023.
The single bench of Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand ordered the state's additional advocate general (AAG) to submit an affidavit detailing the number of beneficiaries and the amounts awarded under the scheme. The court has sought information about the financial status of scholarship recipients also.
The directive came during a hearing of a petition filed by Manjit Devra, a student at an Australian university whose scholarship payments have been suspended. Devra, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Science, claimed that the state govt had not released her scholarship amount despite her completing one year of studies under the scheme.
According to the petitioner, the non-payment of scholarship funds has put her at risk of visa expiration and potential deportation. Notably, the petitioner's brother is also a recipient of the same scholarship for overseas studies.
AAG Vigyan Shah, representing the state govt, told court that there were discrepancies in the family's income declarations while applying for the two children.
"The family initially applied in the Rs 8-15 lakh income bracket for their son's scholarship and later applied in the Rs 1-8 lakh bracket for their daughter's scholarship," Shah explained, adding that the parents have been asked to clarify this disparity.