The Director of the Tea Welfare Department, Govt. of Assam notified vide letter No. DTGW/DEV/12/2020-21/32, dated 1st Nov 2021, informing all concerned that applications in the scholarship schemes in the SIRISH Portal by students who have not received their marksheet of the last examination passed, can henceforth upload the recommendation/forwarding of the Principal/Headmaster of their Educational Institute in place of the Mark-sheet of Last Examination Passed. The Institute, however, need to clearly mention that the student has passed the last semester/year examination and has been Promoted to the Next Class/Semester. This is a Policy/Guideline shift, to suit the need of the hour, the Govt. of Assam has taken, which will immensely benefit hundreds of beneficiaries.
Dr. J B Ekka, IAS, the Principal Secretary, Labour Welfare and Tea Tribes Welfare Dept., Govt. of Assam, spoke to more than 84 students on the 31st Oct. 2021 during the 24th AYIMA Global Webinar, organized by AYIMA and exhorted all the Adivasis to take advantage of the supports offered under the Department. During the webinar Dr. Ekka also informed that the Department has taken lead and made SIRISH Portal an Online Application to overcome several hurdles which were faced by applicants at various stages in the past. This has resulted in the increased number of applications and minimized the work load at the SDWO level. Fr. Bimal Lakra, the former Co-Founder Vice-Principal of Don Bosco Collage Golaghat, expressed one of the concerns to Dr. Ekka, that the Educational Institutes/Universities have not provided Mark-sheets to the students as they were not permitted by the Govt. to attend physical classes due to COVID-19, in the past two years. Fr. Lakra also suggested solution to this by saying that the letter from the Principal/Headmaster should suffice as the mark-sheet is just one of the proofs of eligibility and that it has nothing to do with cut-off marks as part of the eligibility criteria. The Principal Secretary, took note of the suggestion and on the next day the Notification was issued. The Department’s quick action in this regard, is being highly appreciated by the Adivasi Society.
AYIMA Global Webinar initiated by Mr. Louis Aind, IPS (DIGP Rtd,) and Fr. Bimal Lakra SDB, in the month of May 2021 is impacting people’s lives and making inroads at the policy level. PAJHRA, the 1st NGO for the Adivasis, serving its target group for past 18 years has taken Mr. Soma Munda, an Award-Winning Farmer in Assam as the Resource Person for the development of ACRTC (Adivasi Cultural, Resource and Training Center) at Dhekiajui in Sonitpur district of Assam. PAJHRA has more than 20 Bighas of land in the ACRTC complex and with the award winner like Mr. Munda getting involved, the income to be generated from this resource center is expected to be doubled shortly. Mr. Munda was a Resource Person to 20thAYIMA Global Webinar held on the 6th of Sept 2021. He visited the ACTRC on the 22nd Oct 2021 and suggested to get the land documents and do horticulture crop plantation. With his visit, PAJHRA decided to utilize project fund for development of ACRTC, seek for larger project fundings, approach various Govt. departments for technical and financial assistance, appoint agri-specialist at the center, etc.
Taking AYIMA’s program as an example, the Adivasi Professional Social Workers (MSWs) from Assam have formed their own association (AAMSWA) on 4th Sept 2021, with 121 as its primary members. Till date the Association has provided two technical sessions on National Scholarship Portal (Central Scheme) and Scholarships under Tea Welfare Department, Govt. of Assam, benefitting more than 130 students. The association is planning to set-up Common Service Center (CSCs) in all the districts of Assam to facilitate and provide support in bringing people to the Government and Government to its people.
Article By:
Gomke T. Jude Xalxo, MSW
(Dy Project Director – World Bank Project on NRM, Govt. of Meghalaya)
AYIMA, Nov 1, 2021