Due to the government's lax attitude, students awaiting scholarships are forced to miss their classes and exams.

The much touted scholarship scheme for backward class and minority students has got entangled in red tape, causing acute distress to students across the city. Though the government was all for supporting the education of these students, execution of the scholarship scheme seems to lack the same fervour.

Deadlines and expenses in the academic arena seem to bear no weight for the bureaucrats who run the schemes according to their own rules. The promised scholarship money never reaches the students in time, creating innumerable problems for the hapless students.

Not willing to wait for the government to act, the authorities at Shadan Institute of Management Studies allegedly threatened to bar students who failed to pay the fees from writing exams. Says Muhammad Hasan, a student, "The college refuses to forward our examination forms to the university till we pay up. We have also been barred from attending lectures. We are from financially weak backgrounds and are doing our MBA only because the government promised us scholarships. Now, we don't know what to do."

An official from the college, on condition of anonymity, says, "Only the second year students are being asked to pay. We cannot function if students don't pay their fees."Sarfaraz, a management representative, however, denied the allegations.

It's the same in most colleges. Around 40 students from Osmania University alone stand helpless before authorities who demand tuition fees and other administrative charges on stipulated dates. Akula Laxman, who applied for a BC scholarship while pursuing his Bachelors course last year, is yet to receive his scholarship money. The graduate who is paying from his own pocket for MCJ now, says, "I have been doing the rounds of the BC commission office regularly. They say that my college has not given complete information and so my file is pending with the district welfare officer. I can't afford to spend more money from my pocket." C.S. Naseeruddin, executive officer of the Minorities Finance Corporation, clarifies, "The money has been dispatched, but there may delays due to technical problems. A letter has also been sent to all the institutes asking managements not to harass students awaiting scholarship money. The college can approach, but they cannot prohibit students from attending classes or writing exams."

College managements however, are in no mood to pay heed to official letters.They want the fees on time, and students have no choice but to pay from their pockets. Arts College student Ardh Srinivas says, "We were supposed to get a reimbursement two months ago, but there is still no sign of the money. Students of AV College too are facing the same problem."

The villain is the sudden urge for modernisation in government offices. "They have recent ly started an online schol arship programme and as a result there is complete chaos in the welfare office," says Srinivas."Officials don't know how to handle it. They told us that since this is a new pro cedure, it will take time for things to settle down."