Students pursuing PhD at Savitribai Phule Pune University deprived of monthly stipend
When they reached out to the varsity officials seeking answers, the students were told that there has been a lack of funds at the university, which has been trying to expand on the research front.
Students pursuing PhD at the Savitribai Phule Pune Unviersity (SPPU), will now have to manage their expenses on their own, as the varsity has deprived them of their monthly stipend, citing lack of funds. As many as 300 students at the university have not received their monthly stipend for April.
When they reached out to the varsity officials seeking answers, the students were told that there has been a lack of funds at the university, which has been trying to expand on the research front.
“We had not been receiving our stipend since April and the varsity is blaming the university grants commission (UGC) for the lack of funds. When we went to give the letter to the vice-chancellor, seeking answers, we were told that the UGC has stopped giving funds for PhD students and that last year, all our stipends were given out by the varsity from their own funds, which has dried up now. But, this situation is extremely unacceptable for us, especially as many students depend on that money for their day to day expenses,” said Satish Gore, PhD student, department of English and president of national students union of India's (NSUI), SPPU.
Every month these PhD students receive a stipend of ₹8,000, while those pursuing MPhil receive ₹5,000.
“We will wait for this month to get over and if the university fails to take any concrete actions, we will hold a full-fledged protest,” he added.
