Ajay Sharma
Rajouri (Hathal), June 30: In a serious act of negligence on the part of ZEO and School headmaster of Lower Hathal Zone, many village students were deprived from participating in a crucial scholarship examination.
The issue, which has sparked outrage among parents, points to systemic failures in the handling of scholarship forms for students who excelled in their 8th-grade examinations.
“Under a government scheme, students who pass their 8th-grade exams with more than 60% marks are eligible to apply for a scholarship,” said sources, adding that the process involves submitting forms through the Zonal Education Office (ZEO), which are then forwarded to the Chief Education Officer (CEO) for approval.
Successful applicants are assigned an examination center to compete for the scholarship, which provides financial support to meritorious students.
However, in the Lower Hathal Zone, this process has collapsed, leaving eligible students in the lurch.
According to sources, the forms of approximately eight students—comprising both boys and girls—from Lower Hathal Zone were collected by the ZEO office seven to eight months ago.
“These forms were sent to the CEO’s office but were rejected for unspecified reasons,” said sources, adding that shockingly, neither the ZEO nor the school authorities informed the parents or students about the rejection or any deficiencies in the applications.
As a result, none of the students from Lower Hathal Zone were included in the final list of candidates for the scholarship exam held on Sunday, June 29, 2025, in Nowshera.
Parents and community members have expressed frustration, alleging gross negligence by the ZEO Lower Hathal and the teaching staff of the Government High School.
The ZEO has deflected responsibility, claiming that the headmaster of the Government High School, who holds independent Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) powers, is accountable for the oversight.
The ZEO office stated, “We only assist; the responsibility lies with the school’s teachers and headmaster.” Conversely, the school authorities have pointed fingers back at the ZEO, accusing them of failing to follow up on the rejected forms or communicate deficiencies to the parents.
This blame-shifting has left parents and students without answers. “It’s not just about the scholarship money,” said one parent, adding “The process of preparing for and appearing in the exam teaches students how to face challenges independently. By denying them this opportunity, the department has failed our children.”
Parents have also highlighted that timely communication about any issues with the forms could have allowed them to address deficiencies and ensure their children’s participation.
“If the CEO’s office rejected the forms, why was the ZEO not informed? Why were parents kept in the dark? And who bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that eligible students are not deprived of their rights?” claimed sources, adding that the ZEO’s claim of having no responsibility has only fuelled public discontent, with calls for action from higher authorities.
Parents and community members are now demanding that the Director of Education, Jammu, the Chief Education Officer, Reasi, and even the Deputy Commissioner, Abhishek Sharma, intervene to investigate the matter and consider the deserving students for the sanction of scholarship opportunity.
They are urging authorities to hold accountable those responsible for the lapse and ensure that such negligence does not recur. They have also warned the concerned authorities that they will approach the Lieutenant Governor’s and Chief Minister’s office, if the responsibility for the lapse is not fixed.
However, parents remain sceptical, fearing that the matter may be buried in bureaucratic files without meaningful action.
