Management of NIILM University booked for submitting 'bogus' papers to get scholarship

Haryana Vigilance Bureau has booked the management of Northern Institute for Integrated Learning in Management (NIILM) University, Kaithal, for allegedly obtaining scholarships worth Rs 17.42 lakh under the central government scheme of Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students by submitting bogus record of students in 2016-17. An FIR was registered at Vigilance police station in Ambala on August 18.

The scholarship was obtained through the office of Director of Higher Education, Haryana, Sector 5, in Panchkula. Vice-Chancellor Arvind Dhar was not available for comment despite repeated attempts.

The agency has also decided to probe earlier obtained scholarships under the same scheme, amounting to around Rs 5 crore in the last five years.

A senior vigilance officer said the scholarship of Rs 17.42 lakh was issued on the name of 12 SC students and the money was deposited in their accounts at Vijaya Bank in Kaithal. “Later, the management of NIILM University, Kaithal, diverted the scholarship money from these accounts to that of the NIILM, Kaithal. And when the 12 SC students were examined, they were not found to be genuine. They also expressed their ignorance about having any bank account at Vijaya Bank in Kaithal. We also traced two agents who had arranged the documents of the 12 students and have received huge commission for the last five years.”

The officer added Kammna Khetpal, the in-charge of admission branch of NIILM University, was in touch with the two Jind residents, Kuldeep Singh and Mintu, who were providing them the documents of the SC students for claiming the scholarship money from the state government.

Founded in 2011, the NIILM University, Kaithal, is the second such institute, which has allegedly obtained the scholarships on the name of SC students. On August 17, the management of Rohitash Institute of Management, Mahendergarh, was booked for claiming Rs 28 lakh scholarship under the scheme by allegedly submitting fake documents of 53 MBA students, claiming to be SC. An FIR was registered at Sector 5 police station here.

Under the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment releases money for SC students on the recommendations of state higher education departments. The scholarship is released to the students whose parents’ annual income does not exceed Rs 2.50 lakh.

Meanwhile, Director of Higher Education, Haryana, Anurag Agarwal, has ordered to conduct an audit of all 98 private institutes, which are claiming scholarships under the Post-Matric Scholarship for SC students. A team under the supervision of Audit Officer Virender Malik from the office of Principal Accountant General, Haryana, is camping at Shiksha Sadan in Sector 5 reviewing the record of all the 98 institutes these days.
News Source (Indian Express)