E-Paper
Maulana Azad National Fellowship: Discontinued grant disappoints research scholars in Punjab varsities
Days after Government of India announced discontinuation of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship , implemented by the University Grants Commission , research scholars of various universities in Punjab are left disappointed.
Days after Government of India announced discontinuation of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC), research scholars of various universities in Punjab are left disappointed.
Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani in a written reply in Lok Sabha on December 8, informed that the government has discontinued MANF, implemented by UGC for the students of Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain minority communities who pursued M.Phil/Ph.D. degrees in science, humanities, social sciences, engineering and technology.
Zahid Hussain Khan, a research scholar from the Panjab university said, he was expecting to apply for the MANF fellowship but was disappointed, “I was hopeful that I would get this fellowship but such an adverse decision has dashed all my hopes. We don’t get any other fellowship or scholarships in the state universities that are available to the students of the central universities.”
Thasleema CN, who finished her post graduate degree in history from the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, said, “For underprivileged students belonging to minority religions, especially girl students, MANF was a great solace. The reason provided for the ceasing of MANF is not convincing. If such overlapping happens, government is supposed to clarify the anomalies. It seems like an anti-minority and anti-education step.”
According to data available on the website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, in the session 2018-19, 76 students comprising of 42 females and 34 males from Punjab were awarded the MANF.
