Scholarship scam in Assam: 5 including a college Principal arrested

way2barak, Nov.11: In connection to Ishan Uday Scholarship scam in Assam’s Barpeta district, police arrested 5 persons including the Principal of a college. The multi-crore scam is reported to have drained crores of rupees by mentioning names of ghost students in several colleges in the Barpeta and Bongaigaon districts of Assam. 

The accused have siphoned crores of rupees allotted for the Ishan Uday Scholarship and another scholarship by the Union Ministry for Minority Development for supporting students belonging to minority communities. Notably, the Ishan Uday Scholarship is awarded by the University Grants Commission to meritorious students. 

The principal has been identified as Manik Ali of Barpeta Bongaigaon College. Along with Manik Ali, junior assistant of the college Abul Bashar and junior assistants of other colleges in Baniyarapara-  Sajidul Islam, Khabiruddin and Salim Malik were also arrested. This vicious circle is learnt to have been misappropriating huge amount of scholarship money meant to be distributed amongst needy students since 2018.