Agartala, Apr 02, 2025, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala, Apr 04. The Tripura Tribal Welfare Department has identified 34 students who allegedly submitted forged income certificates to obtain the benefit of post-matric scholarships.

According to an official memorandum, these students uploaded fraudulent documents on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) for the academic year 2023-24. 

The memorandum states, “Enquiries conducted by competent administrative authorities have revealed that 34 students, as listed in Annexure-I, applied for the ST Post-Matric Scholarship for AY/FY 2023-24 through the NSP using fake income certificates. The submission of such falsified documents to obtain scholarship grants amounts to misappropriation of public funds, document forgery, and fraud against the scholarship sanctioning authority, constituting a criminal offence.” 

The department has issued show-cause notices to the students, warning of legal action, including the lodging of FIRs, had they failed to provide satisfactory explanations. 

“The aforementioned 34 students are hereby directed to show cause as to why FIRs should not be filed against them for submitting fake income certificates on the NSP with the intent to falsely claim the ST Post-Matric Scholarship for AY/FY 2023-24,” the memorandum further states. 

The department has set 16th April 2025 as the deadline for the students to submit their responses. “Their replies, if any, in their defence, must be submitted in writing to the undersigned no later than 16th April 2025. Failure to comply will result in ex parte action,” it added.