http://www.hindustantimes.com/nonfram/160301/detCIT13.asp
HT Correspondent
(New Delhi, March 15)

THE SOCIAL Welfare Department wants public schools to give 22.5 per cent reservation in admission to children belonging to scheduled caste. On the other hand, the department has been able to spend only 55 per cent of its annual plan allotment in the financial year ending March 31, 2001.

At a Press conference today, the Social Welfare Minister Krishna Tirath said that they would take up the issue regarding reservations in admissions with the education department.

"There is a provision of reservation for scheduled caste children in school admission but the schools were not complying with it," she said. However, a senior education department official said it may not be possible to implement the suggestion as there is no reservation policy for admissions in schools.

Tirath said they were forming a Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Commission on the lines of National Scheduled Caste and Tribe Commission in Delhi, to deal with the problems being faced by SCs and STs in government and private organisations.

"We may table the bill in the forthcoming budget session of the Delhi Assembly for enactment of the act governing the three-member commission," he said.

The department has also decided to increase the stipend for meritorious students from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 and from Rs 400 to Rs 1,300. The money given to SC, ST and OBC students to purchase books has also been increased.

The Delhi SC Finance and Development Corporation has decided to set up a Composite Fund for giving loans to SC/STs up to Rs 50,000 for self-employment schemes within a week of the formalities being cleared, she said.

"The loan seekers were facing problem to get the money sanctioned from banks after obtaining clearance from the department," she said.

EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15: The Delhi government's social welfare department has decided to provide interest-free educational loans to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Delhi social welfare minister Krishna Tirath said, ``We have increased the book and stationery stipend for SC and ST students from Rs 10 to Rs 350. Besides, we have also increased the scholarship stipend for meritorious students from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 and Rs 400 to Rs 1,300.''

NEW DELHI, MARCH. 15. The Delhi Social Welfare Minister, Ms. Krishna Tirath, today announced the intention of the Congress(I) Government to set up a Delhi Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission in the Capital shortly.

Addressing a press conference here, Ms. Tirath said the three- member Commission will have the power to summon any person or seek production of any document. It would also recommend to the Delhi Government exclusion or inclusion of any category from the Scheduled Castes in Delhi. The Commission would attend to the redressal of grievances of the SCs/STs from Delhi and take appropriate action in this regard.

The Minister said the State Government was also considering establishing a residential school from nursery to ten plus two level where admission would only be given only to meritorious students. The Government had also started imparting coaching for entrance test for admission into Engineering and Medical colleges for SC/ST students. From next year, it is proposed to impart coaching for all-India service examination also.

Ms. Tirath said for their economic development, the Delhi Scheduled Castes Financial and Development Corporation was implementing several schemes in collaboration with banks. It had also been decided that DSFDC would provide loans upto Rs. 50,000 under the Composite Loan Scheme to prevent any harassment. She stated the proposal for extending loans by the DSFDC for buying CNG buses and also getting the diesel buses converted into CNG was being considered and a decision would be taken soon.