Hyderabad: The University of Hyderabad Students Union has staged a protest on Thursday against the state government over delay in releasing Telangana State ePASS scholarship for students.

Protesters alleged that they have not been receiving the money due to them under the scheme for over three years, as this fellowship is a programme that helps students from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Backward Classes (BC), Economically Backward Class (EBC) and Persons with Disabilities (PwD) categories in Telangana get financial aid for pre-matric and post-matric education through fee reimbursements. The delay in releasing scholarships is causing immense hardships to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. For the past two years they have not received the amount. They demanded that the state government immediately disburse the pending ePASS scholarships to all the eligible students, review its budgetary allocations to prioritise education and also ensure timely release of scholarships in the future to avoid similar hardships for students.

As fellowships have not yet been disbursed, many students are forced to seek help from their parents to pay their fees and dues. If they do not, they will not be allowed to register for the next semester or graduate, said a beneficiary.

“The ePASS scholarship is a vital initiative aimed at promoting education among the marginalised communities. By delaying these scholarships, the government is undermining its own commitment to education and social welfare. It will be better if the state government take immediate action to release the pending scholarships and ensure that the students receive timely support for their education. The government must also review its budgetary allocations to ensure that education receives the priority it deserves,” said one of the members of the student union, UoH.