Research scholars in Punjab lament delayed national fellowships

The University Grants Commission is yet to upload data pertaining to the junior research fellowship on its scholarship and fellowship management portal.

The result of the ‘national eligibility test for assistant professor’ as well as ‘junior research fellowship and assistant professor’ of December 2021 and June 2022 (merged cycle) is already out but the university grants commission (UGC) is yet to upload data pertaining to the junior research fellowship (JRF) on its scholarship and fellowship management portal. The research scholars say that it has added to their woes because they could not initiate the process of the fellowship.

The research scholars say that it has added to their woes because they could not initiate the process of the fellowship. (Representational photo)

Sukhminder Singh, a research scholar in the Punjabi University, Patiala, has qualified for the ‘junior research fellowship and assistant professor’ in December 2021 and June 2022 (merged cycle). However, he enrolled for Ph.D. in 2021. He said, “The result of this merged cycle was declared on November 5, 2022. The UGC has not yet uploaded the data of candidates on its fellowship management portal. This is why the university has not yet initiated the fellowship-process.” He added, “The fellowship will get delayed because of the delay in the uploading of data on the portal. I am really disappointed.”

Singh claimed, “I have already sent an email to UGC but got no response. However, I got a response to my grievance that I filed on the PM grievance portal.” According to a response by the ‘Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System’ on January 27 to Singh, “Uploading of the data of December 2021 and June 2022 (merged cycle) on SFMP portal is under process.”

Jasvir Singh, who enrolled for Ph.D. in 2018, said, “I cleared JRF exam in the merged cycle. I am unable to initiate new registration and didn’t get any fellowship yet.”

Maulana Azad National Fellowship discontinued; delayed for existing scholars

As the union government discontinued MANF for new researchers from minority communities in December last year, the existing scholars rue delay in fellowship amounts. Karanjeet Kaur, a research scholar from the department of Punjabi, Delhi University, said, “I got enrolled for Ph.D. in January 2022. Delhi is an expensive city to live. It is really difficult to spend money on rent and other day-to-day activities in the absence of fellowship amount. I didn’t get it since June 2022. I couldn’t even ask for money from my parents. Sometimes, I pay rent after getting loan.” She claimed, “The UGC informed us that the ministry didn’t have funds.” Juzar Singh, a research scholar from the department of Mass Communication at Guru Nanak Dev University, said, “I got enrolled in Ph.D. in April 2022. I didn’t get MANF since July 2022. As I am into full-time research; I am not supposed to do any other job. It is my only source of income.” According to sources, besides these, there are other fellowships also that usually get delayed by many months. Students belonging to minority communities were given scholarships by the Government of India under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship and Pre-Matric Scholarship, which have been discontinued since last year.

National fellowship schemes transferred from UGC to other ministries

According to a public notice by UGC, dated November 7, 2022, the UGC informed that the national fellowship scheme for SC, OBC and MANF were implemented by UGC up to September 30, 2022 only. The ministry of social justice and empowerment implements national fellowship scheme for SC and OBC while MANF has been implemented by ministry of minority affairs since October 1, 2022.

What do the UGC and other ministries say?

At the ministry of minority affairs, an official didn’t disclose his name but said, “The ministry has already paid it (fellowship) up to September 2022. If it is getting delayed, the concerned college or university must not have verified it. After September, we do not have the approval for it. You will get the pending amount uptill September and the amount of the fellowship from October in one go. However, the scholars will have to wait as we have sent the file for approval in the ministry.” The questions sent to Prof Rajnish Jain, the secretary of UGC, were left unanswered.