Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Some South Sudanese scholarship students in India have expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Higher Education’s handling of complaints regarding the alleged unfair selection of 2025 scholarship candidates to study in India.
The students are calling for a review of the selection criteria and a transparent explanation to help restore public trust in what they describe as a vital national program.
Rejoice Diko, a South Sudanese student leader in India, said the process has sparked deep concern and disappointment among many qualified students who were excluded, despite holding valid university admission letters.
Her remarks follow a statement by Dr. Atem Kuir Jok, the Director General of Training and External Relations Affairs at the Ministry, who told Eye Radio last week that all applicants applied online to Indian universities through the scholarship program.
Dr. Kuir explained that out of 457 applicants, only 30 were selected.
He noted that while past selections were distributed across the states and three administrative areas, the new ministerial policy prioritizes merit-based selection.
However, Rejoice Diko is challenging the transparency of the process and demanding that the Ministry disclose the identities of the seven committee members responsible for the 2025 selection.
“We ask that you publicly name the seven committee members who made the selections and explain the criteria used. The public deserves to know the process and approach followed,” the student leader said.
“As it stands, the distribution of scholarships was not equal across the 10 states and the three administrative areas. This has caused deep concern among many qualified students who were left out despite having valid university admissions,” she added.
Another student leader, Martha Atek Peiu, said the current selection process appears to have strayed from a 2022 agreement aimed at ensuring fairness and regional balance.
According to her, the Indian Embassy and the Ministry of Higher Education reached an agreement to allowing the ministry to distribute the scholarship slots across the ten states and three administrative.
“The recent ICCR scholarship selection seems to have deviated from the 2022 agreement between the Indian Embassy in South Sudan and the Ministry of Higher Education,” she said.
“The intention was for the Ministry to distribute the opportunities fairly across the 10 states and three administrative areas. However, it now appears that the Ministry is selecting candidates solely based on merit, without adhering to the agreed distribution,” she added.
According to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), the scholarships are intended to strengthen diplomatic ties and support the development of South Sudan’s human capital.
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