By Lodu William Odiya<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Greater Equatoria Students Association in India has appealed for transparency and fairness in Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship selection.<\/strong><\/p>\n According to a statement extended to the media, the association petitioned the Minister of higher education to ensure transparency in the admission selection process.<\/p>\n The student union\u2019s concern followed the alleged list of students selected for scholarships.<\/p>\n The long list of more than 20 students went viral on social media, with others claiming that it was derived based on connection, hence neglecting regional diversity in South Sudan.<\/p>\n Efforts by this outlet to reach out to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology for comment were not successful.<\/p>\n \u201cDear Honorable leaders and esteemed representatives, We, the members of the Greater Equatorial Students Association\u2014India, write to you as concerned and committed citizens of South Sudan. With deep respect and a sense of national responsibility, we bring to your attention the recent developments regarding the Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship program.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the statement, the association underscored the recent ICCR selection was not done in a fair and transparent manner.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has come to our notice that the recent selection of ICCR scholarship recipients was conducted in a manner that lacked transparency, fairness, and merit-based evaluation,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n The report also stressed that the numerous academically qualified candidates were excluded, while others reportedly selected through non-transparent and possibly biased processes were awarded the scholarship.<\/p>\n \u201cThis outcome has severely undermined the trust of many students in public institutions and diminished hope among those who have worked hard for such life-changing opportunities,\u201d the statement explained.<\/p>\n It further noted that the ICCR scholarship not only represents academic opportunity but also a symbol of hope for many South Sudanese youths, particularly those from underprivileged regions.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is therefore critical that merit, integrity, and regional equity guide the selection process. Unfortunately, we have observed a trend of political influence and favoritism, which risks alienating entire regions, especially students from Greater Equatoria, hence damaging our national unity.\u201d Statement highlighted.<\/p>\n In light of the concerns raised, the association has appealed for a transparent investigation into the recent selection and a fair reselection process rooted in open competition for the scholarship, adding that some measure be taken to ensure regional balance and inclusivity in the opportunity among all ten states.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe in a South Sudan where all children, regardless of region or status, have equal access to national opportunity. We trust in your leadership and your commitment to fairness, education, and national cohesion,\u201d the statement noted.<\/p>\n \u201cWe respectfully urge you to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves and to safeguard the integrity of educational programs that shape our nation\u2019s future,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n Recently the newly appointed Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Madut Biar Yel, vowed to address the salary crisis affecting the university staff as well as ensuring transparency in scholarship selection processes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Lodu William Odiya Greater Equatoria Students Association in India has appealed for transparency and fairness in Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship selection. According to a statement extended to the media, the association petitioned the Minister of higher education to ensure transparency in the admission selection process. The[Read More…]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[80,79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37232","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37232","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37232"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37232\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37233,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37232\/revisions\/37233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37232"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37232"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onecitizendaily.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37232"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}