Post-matric scholarship: Will release ₹2.7 crore in two weeks, Punjab informs high court

The Punjab government has undertaken before the Punjab and Haryana high court that it will release ₹2.7 crore to Panjab University (PU), owed under the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme, within two weeks.

The submissions were made by the state’s counsel during hearing of a plea in which some students from Punjab had stated that they were reserved category students who completed their graduation between 2022 and 2024. But have not been able to secure further admission or employment as they had not received their degrees.

Their detailed marksheets (DMCs) and degrees had not been issued on the grounds that Government College, Hoshiarpur, did not deposit the examination fee of these students, their counsel, Yagyadeep had told the court.

The statement from Punjab government came in the wake of high court summoning principal secretaries of the department of higher education, department of finance, and department of scheduled caste and backward classes welfare after PU claimed that degrees were withheld as the Punjab government had not released the funds under PMS scheme.

Will issue degrees within a week of receiving funds: PU

Upon Punjab government counsel’s statement, PU also undertook that on receipt of the amount, the university will issue all pending degrees and DMCs within one week thereafter.

The court while deferring the hearing for November 20 said on the next date of hearing, it will consider how the students, whose degrees got delayed only because of money, were to be compensated by fixing of responsibility.

The court also sought to know from Punjab about the position of PMS funds of other colleges/universities in Punjab and whether any other university had withheld degrees of students.