In its response, the union minister apprised the Lok Sabha by providing that the scheme of National Fellowship for OBCs was introduced in the year 2014-15. Kumar asserted that for the year 2022-23, stipends had been released to all eligible beneficiaries by the end of 2022-23. In furtherance they said that to ensure timely release, the system of Central Nodal Agency (CNA) has been adopted and it aims to ensure release of the stipends to scholars within the prescribed time limit.

The answer contains the details and the number of beneficiaries of the scholarship during the last 5 years. From the data, it can be observed that there has been a gradual increase in the scholarships provided to OBCs. As per the data, there has been an increase in the number of beneficiaries, from 670 beneficiaries in 2018 to 1570 in 2023, depicting a growth of more than a double in a span of 5 years.

When the provided figures are looked at state – wise, it can be observed that there are some states in which scholarships to OBCs have been decreasing in the last few years. In the state of Goa, a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries in the early years can be observed, from 7 in 2018 to 13 in 2019, pursuant to which there has been a gradual decrease till date. The same pattern is followed by the states of Assam, Sikkim, Gujrat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, with there being a good amount of increase in the beneficiaries for the first or second year, post which a decline can be seen.

It is also crucial to note that a pattern of gradual increase in number of beneficiaries of the said scholarships can also be seen in some states where there is a pattern of gradual increase in the number of beneficiaries each year. The states included are Bihar, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Haryana, Manipur, Tripura, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Notably, the highest number of beneficiaries each year from 2018 to 2023 has been from Uttar Pradesh- 133 in 2018, 202 in 2019, 223 in 2020, 243 in 2021, 325 in 2022. As can be deduced from the data, the number of beneficiaries in the state have also increased. On the other hand, the lowest number of beneficiaries have been from Arunachal Pradesh, which received 0 beneficiaries for the first three years and has received a total of 5 beneficiaries in the last two years.

It is pertinent that while we appreciate the overall increase in the number of scholarships provided, focus is also on ensuring that all states follow a positive pattern, with increase in the number of beneficiaries, and ensure that an equitable number of beneficiaries exist in accordance to the population of each state.

The table provided in the answer is as follows:

The complete answer can be read here:

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Bihar government in 2018-19 diverted over Rs. 8,800 crores from an SC/ST scholarship fund to invest in road, embankment, medical colleges and government buildings projects, said the Indian Express on November 1, 2021. Scholarships under this fund have been denied to many eligible students for the last six years on account of fiscal shortages.

According to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) 2018-19 report on Bihar’s finances, money from the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) fund was diverted despite Planning Commission provisions detailing the use of the fund for extending the centrally-sponsored Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) to Schedules Caste and Scheduled Tribe students with an annual family income of less than Rs 2.5 lakh.

The PMS provides financial aid for educational and professional courses from Class 10 all the way to post-graduation. 60 percent of the scholarship is funded by the Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry and helps around 60 lakh students in India annually. Around five lakh of these students are from Bihar.

Yet, on August 10, the Indian Express reported that the state government had halted the same since 2018-19 due to a “technical snag” with the national application portal. Further investigation showed SC/ST students have been unable to avail the aid for six years.

As per the CAG report, the state government diverted Rs 2,076.99 crore from the SCSP fund to the electricity department and also loaned it Rs. 460.84 crore. Further, it diverted Rs. 3,081.34 crore for major road projects, Rs. 1,202.23 crore was diverted for constructing embankment, flood control projects and Rs. 1,222.94 crore was diverted for medical colleges. Another Rs. 776.06 crore were used for constructing an agricultural department office and other buildings.

“The Committee observes from the findings of the CAG that funds earmarked for development for SCs and STs have been diverted for other purposes. The Committee takes a serious view of the matter and recommends that NITI Ayog should ensure that funds earmarked for respective development schemes for SCs/STs must not be diverted for other purposes under any circumstances,” said the report.

The 2021-22 Bihar Budget highlights quote State Finance Minister Tarkishore Prasad as saying, “Fund for SCs/STs are allocated under separate sub-heads and it cannot be used for any other purposes.”

His department also agreed on August 23, 2016 that diversion of funds from SC/ST heads is barred. In its official statement, the department said concerned officials hold regular meetings to check any irregularities in Allocation for Welfare of Scheduled Castes (AWSC) expenditure.

While the state government said it has once again begun applications under the scholarship scheme, the incident has caught judicial attention. Earlier, the administration cited a fund crunch when the scholarship issue was brought to light in a PIL. Following the CAG report, the Court asked the government to reply to the petitioner’s query as to how the state diverted the SCSP fund while citing a fund crunch.

As per the regulations of the PMS scheme, a state government can avail any amount of money from the central government above its annual committed liability of about Rs. 115 crore. Since Bihar barely spent around Rs. 60 crore annually between 2017-18 and 2019-20 – less than its committed state liability – Bihar government did not qualify for any Central share in this period.

Related:

SC/ST scholarship denied to students in Bihar for three years!
Centre to fund 60% of scholarship for Scheduled Caste students
PMS fund allocation yet to be received by some states
Critical Govt Schemes for Dalit-Adivasis curtailed in 2019 Union Budget: NCDHR

The post Bihar govt diverted over Rs. 8,800 crore from SC funds for development projects: CAG report appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to come up with a scheme to grant scholarships to children of those who died due to manual scavenging, as also providing compassionate appointment to their legal heirs under Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, reported LiveLaw.

Section 13 of the Act provides for rehabilitation of persons identified as manual scavengers and under sub-section (1)(b) states that the children of a manual scavenger shall be entitled to scholarship as per the relevant scheme of the Central Government or the State Government or the local authorities.

Notably, this section does not concern itself with just those manual scavengers who have died, but all such persons identified as manual scavengers in the final list of manual scavengers published in pursuance of sub-section (6) of section 11 or added thereto in pursuance of sub-section (3) of section 12 of the Act.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum has directed the government to come up with a uniform scheme in this regard as there is a lot of disparity in paying scholarship.

The counsel of the petitioner, All India Central Council Of Trade Unions, informed the court that in the compliance report submitted by the state government under the head of scholarship, an amount of Rs 1,000 is mentioned while in some cases Rs. 10,000 has been given by the state. Hence there is lack of clarity whether the amount is paid monthly or yearly or as a one time measure.

To this, the court responded that if the lump sum is Rs. 1,000 then it is an eye wash and the Rs.10,000 whether it is yearly or monthly in unclear.

The court has thus directed the state government to come up with a proper uniform scheme in this regard within 30 days. It also directed the state to complete within two months the survey for identifying and rehabilitating manual scavengers.

Specific incidents

The incident in Ramanagara that took place on June 4 took lives of 3 manual scavengers and the court has directed the state government to provide the family of the deceased with employment within a period of thirty days, reported LiveLaw.

Further in respect to the incident in Kalaburgi of January, where 2 manual scavengers lost their lives, casual appointment was granted to the legal heirs of those deceased. The court however pointed out that casual appointment can come to an end at any time and that they should be given training for some alternative profession/vocation as stipulated under section 13(1)(d).

While the continuous monitoring of the court in this regard is appreciated, it is not the mandate of the law. In clear terms, the Act has assigned functions to public servants to implement the provisions under the Act. The Court is simply passing directions on those lines to ensure that the families of manual scavengers receive the reliefs that are entitled to them under the Act. Especially in terms of rehabilitation, the District Magistrate is assigned with the task to ensure rehabilitation or any such subordinate officers or the concerned Municipality

Failure to provide safety equipment

The court was informed by Senior Advocate Jayna Kothari that the state has been non-compliant wit respect to providing necessary safety equipments at the local bodies as enumerated in the Rules under the Act. Rule 3, framed under the Act, provides for obligations of the employer towards employees engaged in the cleaning of sewer or septic tank and provision of safety equipment.

At the last hearing, on August 30, the court had directed the state to file a detailed chart in respect of equipment available with the corporations in terms of the Act of 2013. However, the state failed to file the same and hence the court has granted 30-days time to file the same.

Manual scavenging deaths

During the monsoon session, the Raja Sabha was informed by the Minister of Social Justice and Employment, Virendra Kumar, that 941 deaths related to cleaning sewers and septic tanks have been recorded across 21 States and Union Territories, but there are no reports of death due to manual scavenging.

He further stated that as per the two surveys conducted by the local authorities in 2013 and 2018, as many as 58,098 persons have been identified as manual scavengers.

The story will be updated with the order

Related:

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Centre claims that nobody died due to manual scavenging reported in the last 5 years!

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A public interest litigation before the Kerala High Court highlighted that while most of the socio, economic and educational empowerment schemes and programmes are meant for the socio economically poor sections of the society including the six centrally notified minorities, there is marked discrimination favouring one minority against other minority communities without any rationale in Kerala.

The plea filed by a member of the Roman Catholic community alleged that the scholarships are provided to a particular minority community (Muslims) in preference to other minority communities.

The Government had considered the matter at length and decided to give scholarships and hostel stipends to Muslim students and Latin Catholic/Converted Christians in the ratio 80:20. (80 percent to Muslim Community and 20 percent to Latin Christians and Converted Christians). This also included 30 percent of seats to be reserved for girl students. But the High Court quashed this order as it could not be “legally sustained”.

It further ruled that the government should provide merit-cum-means scholarship to the members of the notified minority communities within the State equally, and in accordance with the latest population census available with the State Minority Commission.  

The Bench of Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice S Manikumar, thus, allowed the petition alleging that the State Government was giving “undue favour” to the Muslim community over the members of other minority communities in the State.

Submissions

The primary issue in the petition was with respect to a scholarship scheme announced by the State Government, pursuant to proposals submitted by a 11-member committee. The Committee was to implement the recommendations of the Justice Rajinder Sachar committee in Kerala. The Sachar Committee was a high-level committee set-up to report on the social, economic, and educational status of Muslims in India.

Initially the State Government provided 5,000 scholarships for degree and post graduate Muslim women students. The benefit of the scheme was later extended to students belonging to the Latin Catholic and Converted Christian Communities in 2011. Eventually, as per a government order in 2015, that reservation among Muslims and other minority communities stood at a ratio of 80:20.

The petitioner alleged that this State Government’s scheme is in contravention of a scholarship announced by the Union Government in 2006, where scholarships were provided to students belonging to minority communities, on a merit-cum-means basis.

LiveLaw quoted the petition read, “State of Kerala under the guise of promoting the minority communities is showing undue favouritism to Muslim community to the detriment of other minority communities. In the case of Christian community, other than Latin Catholic and converted Christians, no benefit is given to the rest of the group resulting in total discrimination.” Hence, the petitioner sought that the discrimination be remedied and the scholarships distributed uniformly to all minority communities. 

The State Government, on the other hand, argued that the Sachar Committee and Kerala Padana Report reveals that Muslims were behind Christians in college enrolment. There were only 3 percent landless Christians, while 37.8 percent of Muslims were landless among Muslims, it was stated. 

“Muslims in Kerala are ‘in toto’ a backward community and included in OBC category by the State Government while in other religious minorities including Christians, the Roman Catholics and some other sects among Christians are not backward communities in toto”, the Kerala Government argued.

Court’s observations

The Bench referred to Article 14 (equality before law) and 15 (right against discrimination) to hold that it is clear that the State is endowed with a duty coupled with an obligation to look after the welfare and well-being of the socially, educationally and economically weaker sections of citizens irrespective of the special provisions dealing with minorities.

“Therefore, there is nothing wrong in the State Government providing facilities to weaker sections of the community, but when it comes to dealing with the notified minorities, it has to treat them equally, and it is not vested with any powers to treat them unequally”, read the order.

The court ruled that the State is indulging in providing scholarship to the Muslim minority community at 80 percent, which is “an unconstitutional act and unsupported by any law.” Finally the court held, “..we are of the considered opinion that the action of the State Government in sub-classifying the minorities by providing merit-cum-means scholarship at 80% to Muslim community and 20% to the Latin Catholic Christians and Converted Christians cannot be legally sustained.”

It directed the government to provide merit-cum-means scholarships to the members of the notified minority communities within the State, equally.

The judgment may be read here:

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Student organisations in New Delhi held a demonstration on November 9, 2020 outside the Department of Science and Technology, to demand justice for the suicide death of a second-year student at Lady Shri Ram College.

The 19-year-old girl died by suicide on November 3 after suffering severe financial stress. In her suicide note, the girl wrote about her delayed scholarship and her concern about her parents’inability to support her educational aspirations due to the financial crisis caused by the pandemic. The college Student Union blamed the university and government authorities for neglecting the plight of many such students requiring fiscal assistance due to online classes.

The LSR Student Union and the Students Federation of India – Delhi (SFI-Delhi) drafted a memorandum that demands the disbursal of pending scholarships as well as compensation to the aggrieved family. They further demanded the resignation of Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan and asked for a committee that would look into such issues in universities.

Standing outside the government office, Student Union General Secretary Unnimaya said she and protesters would not leave the premises despite the presence of armed police until someone from the department accepts their memorandum.

SFI and Different Organisationa Protesting at Science and Technology Department demanding Justice For Aishwarya#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/tYgtJ31aFL

— SFI Delhi (@SfiDelhi) November 9, 2020

We came here at Dept. of Science and Technology to demand #JusticeForAishwarya , but see the MHA has put force so that we don’t protest !

A student died because she wasn’t given scholarship, but this is the insensitivity of Modi Sarkar ! pic.twitter.com/WyjPqdvBHh

— Aishe (ঐশী) (@aishe_ghosh) November 9, 2020

All India Democratic Women’s Association member Sonia also attended the event to denounce the government’s role in the girl’s death.

“The government has murdered her. This is not suicide but a murder because the government has always discriminated against the poor. Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao is a mere slogan. She came to Delhi in hopes of a scholarship but the government did not give her the scholarship. A daughter ridden with guilt about her finances died by suicide. We demand the government compensate the family. We demand that the Modi-government punish those responsible for this incident,” she said.

The entire protest outside the Department of Science and Technology may be viewed here:

Meanwhile, members of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and other SFI members also staged protests in Delhi and parts of Telangana respectively to show their support with the deceased and her family.

.@nsui activists detained by @DelhiPolice for protesting peacefully outside @EduMinOfIndia against delayed Scholarships & Fellowships.

We lost our sister Aishwarya due to this delay. Dear System & govt. This blood is on everyone’s hands.#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/7fo3LImYLQ

— Sourav Prosad (@SouravProsad1) November 9, 2020

.@nsui activists detained by @DelhiPolice for protesting peacefully outside @EduMinOfIndia against delayed Scholarships & Fellowships.

We lost our sister Aishwarya due to this delay. Dear System & govt. This blood is on everyone’s hands.#JusticeForAishwarya pic.twitter.com/hzG1VNnq9f

— Neeraj Kundan (@Neerajkundan) November 9, 2020

SFI Telengana protested all across state against the Institutional Murder of Aishwarya, demanding justice for her. #JusticeForAishwarya @SFI_CEC pic.twitter.com/dmncnAvVux

— SFI Telangana (@TelanganaSfi) November 9, 2020

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The post Delhi and Telangana students demand justice for LSR student’s death by suicide appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Does the Modi Government Want Mass Suicides of Students in Campuses Across the Country, angrily demand Research Scholars?

The Modi Government is squeezing fellowship amounts promised under several government schemes to research scholars all over the country. First the differently abled and religious minorities, now even SC and ST research scholars are being denied their fellowship amounts.

The Modi-led government, is pursuing capricious policies and budgetary cuts in higher education that has rendered thousands of Indian university students distraught and tense over the past few months, with a staggered and irrational release of their fellowship and scholarship amounts, leaving universities across the country in a state of angry ferment.
 
Over 20,000 research scholars all over the country have been affected by this tardy and insensitive functioning by the Central government. “Many of us have run into personal debts of Rs 50-60,000,” a research scholar told this writer. “We are helpless, we cannot ask our families and what is worse we are not being able to concentrate on the research,” he added.
 
Research scholars in higher education, who have obtained scholarships under different schemes, have been spending energies in getting scholarship amounts disbursed rather than concentrating on their studies since July last year (2015).

Scholars Among the Differently Abled Denied Fellowship Amounts for Eight Months

 
Among the worst sufferers for a grueling eight month period were research fellows who had obtained the Rajiv Gandhi National fellowship for the Disabled. They did not receive any fellowship amount since June July 2015 and only recently six months worth of money has been disbursed, after a staggering eight month gap. A quick look at the Forum of Scholars (UGC Fellowships Forum ) on the Facebook Page shows the deep anguish that students across the country are going through. Some of these students whom Sabrangindia has made inquiries about include M. D. Hasanujgaman, Ashok Jack and  Arul Selvam among several others. 

Presently, the worst sufferers are minority, Dalit and Adivasi students who get scholarships from the Social Welfare and Minority Ministries apart from the UGC.Minority Students across the country who have been awarded the MANA fellowship (Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minorities) have been denied their amounts for as many as five-to six months and on occasion extending to a year. Sabrangindia has spoken to several of them including Mir Qadri.

Here is what Mir Qadri wrote 55 minutes ago on the Facebook page of the Forum, “All MANF scholars I have planned to go to Minority Cell Department of the Government Telangana to meet the Chairman with our problem of Fellowship amounts not being released.” Sabrangindia spoke to Mir Qadri, “ I am a student of the Maulana Azad University Hyderabad and have not received my fellowship amount for five months. In my knowledge there are at least 1015 students of the same university who have not received their fellowship appoints some for over a year. How are research scholars supposed to even function?” Qadri demanded.
 
Abu Saleh, a research scholar from the University of Hyderabad and part of the Occupy UGC Campaign launched last year in October, says “For the last 18 months, fellowships for students has become a huge issue in the country. There have been clear-cut efforts to stop fellowships plans as like 'UGC Non Net'. Even though there was a hike in amount to some of the scholarships by the end of 2014, the total number has been cut down in many schemes.”
 
Sabrangindia’s investigations across the country have found that the disbursement of all scholarship and fellowship amounts in almost all the schemes of the government are extremely irregular and not functioning properly. Besides, there has been an almost ad hoc cutting and trimming of scholarship entitlements and amounts.
 
At least a dozen students from all over the country, including the Differently Abled, Dalit and Adivasi students were contacted by Sabrangindia. Students who are differently abled are being denied their legitimate fellowship amounts and moreover face a humiliation when they try and contact the authorities.

The last Central Education Budget already saw a jaw dropping budgetary cut of 17%! In the revised estimates for 2014-15, while school education allocation was cut by around Rs. 80,000 crore, that of higher education was slashed by Rs. 4,000 crore. In June 2014, out of 7 lakh candidates who appeared for the NET examinations, a total of around 25000 qualified.  An analysis prepared by the University of Hyderabad Teachers Association states that  clearly, this decision of the UGC is going to leave more than 96% of our students (who were anyway receiving only a meager amount of Rs. 5000 for MPhil and Rs. 8000 for PhD) with no scholarship support to pursue their education.

MPhil and PhD students are research workers, which also involves travel expenses to field sites, libraries etc, purchasing of books and other materials, arranging for accommodation and food where there are no free hostels and messes and so on. Even access to many online journals and articles are privileged and one has to pay if one is outside the privileged circles. Some central fellowship grants are, however, Rs 25,000 per month.

This was the plea made by a differently abled student to Sabrangindia, “Our concerns are being neglected. We have failed to contact the responsible authorities and to get the fellowship. The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, UGC and Canara bank are telling us that there are no funds at all for our fellowship!
 
They are saying different things at different times. They always keep referring to others and give us different phone numbers and when we call them, they again keep refer to others. But still there is no proper reply. Some of them say we will get the fellowship in coming months. Some say there are no funds so they don’t know anything. Some say we (Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment) have already given fund to UGC, but contradictorily the UGC says the ministry has not sent any money!
 
Canara bank says the ministry (of finance) has not sent us funds. Again some tell us either to wait indefinitely or to ask the Finance ministry ourselves to release the funds for our fellowship. When we mail and call, most of the respective offices and their staff refuse to even give us a coherent reply, some even come back and say why we are bothering them.
 
We are in a state of utter darkness. We don’t know when and why we are not getting the fellowship. We do not know what we should do to get the fellowship. Moreover, there is no proper accountability to submit our grievances and inquire about the indefinite delay and non-payment of the fellowship. We are facing huge hardships and severe economic problems due to the non-payment of the fellowship.”  

Researchers from the Minority similarly Strapped 

The condition of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) is another cause for serious concern. In the name of changing the system to a direct bank transfer, even this fellowship amount is being delayed over the last year. The last time the fellowship was given to some students was in October/November 2015.  A few days back after many mails, tweets, and phone calls, they have released one or two months worth of money for a few batches while several are still pending. Research students of MANF 2010-11 batch are still waiting for their June-July fellowship.
 
Last year after huge efforts by the students (RGNF) for SC/STs, scholarships are functioning slightly better but there are various other difficulties such as transferring fellowships from one institution to another. Activation of fellowships for new batches takes months while bad responses and insufficient communication is another problem. UGC, Ministries and Canara Bank always play a blame game and it is the students who suffer.
 
Prestigious institutions of higher education are also clearly indicating to students the complete cancellation of scholarships. This document that the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has sent to the new students enrolling in the MPhil and PhD programme from this year is self-explanatory. More than 150 students join TISS for M.Phil and PhD every year and they have been clearly told, “no scholarships!” This will certainly impact the profile of the students who will get in.
 
The circular clearly says that “as per directives of the Central Government of India, Centrally Funded Universties are not entitled for the Non Net fellowships. In view of this there will be no Not Net Fellowship support provided to the scholars from this year.” Only UGC and RGNF scholarships will be available.
 
Over three dozen research fellows whom Sabrangindia spoke to have collectively made this plea. These include Rukmini Dutta, Sreekumar Bishwas, Chiranjib Sarkar, Abhijit Sarkar, Girish Dahiya. Their statement follows:

“The debates regarding UGC Non Net Fellowship and UGC’s messing this up is well known. After several protests throughout the country, the HRD Ministry did set up a committee. The report of the committee was supposed to come in December but researchers are still waiting for the same. The ‘unqualified’ humbug minister seems to be underperformer too. Further, many ongoing fellowship schemes are also in great danger since many of them are being mismanaged in the last two years. The late disbursement system and several months without any fellowships are plaguing the students.
 
Fellowship schemes like MANF, RGNF and so on are dysfunctional for a long time. Last year some students did visit to UGC and other concerned ministries and were promised that the schemes will run as per law thenceforth, but unfortunately it did not happen. As of now thousand scholars of the country have not received their fellowship for many months. For example the scholars under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scheme for minority students are without fellowship from last October – November. Other schemes like RGNF SC, RGNF ST, RGNF OBC and so on are also running late. Most unfortunately fellowship for disabled students has not been released since last July. In these circumstances these research scholars are in great distress.
 
This repeated late disbursement of fellowships affect thousands of research scholars of the country. Most of the scholars solely depend on fellowship for their needs. Thus, if the fellowship amount is not credited on time, it becomes very difficult to sustain. Researchers literally witness times when they do not have money to support ourselves. Students feel really dejected that they have been pushed down to the level of beggars who have to petition every month for what rightfully deserve as legal entitlements as research scholars. Energy and time are lost much in this process which can otherwise be utilized for fruitful research. Researchers are not even able to concentrate on research, as are constantly worried about the lack of money for basic needs.
Now, whom to blame for all this?
 
Is the assigned Canara Bank and the system or the bureaucracy of UGC responsible? Are the ministries responsible or the entire Govt. itself? Students call and beg to Canara Bank, UGC and Ministries almost every day for the pending money they deserve and when the power leaves them baffled with a mutual blame game, they do not know what to do to get the problem resolved. Researchers wait almost endlessly every month but the hostel authorities will not wait for the mess fees to be remitted; the university authorities will not wait for the tuition fees to be paid; the labs cannot wait for the essential chemicals, tools and instruments to be used from time to time.
 
This might sound little emotional but it’s the ground reality of the researchers in India. Sometime many wonder and regret of the choice of research over other promising careers which would have at least not left them in a situation like this. Please imagine when the employees don’t get salary during the first week of the month.Students appeal not punish them more for choosing to face the challenges of a career in research to contribute to the academic development of the country.Here, it is to be noted that one of the significant reasons mentioned by Rohith Vemula in the tract going around as his 'suicide note' for his fatal decision was monetary problems. His pending fellowship was finally disbursed after his death. We would like to ask whether the Ministries, the UGC and the other powers that be whether they want mass suicides to occur across educational campuses of the country.

Thus, we request the concerned authorities at UGC, at various ministries, and power holders at the Govt. to look into the pathetic situation and do the needful at the earliest to resolve the late disbursement of our fellowships. Please act immediately to solve our problem; please give us our monthly fellowship at least within the first week of every month; please let us do our work peacefully and properly.”
 
Sabrangindia has been since last November consistently following up the Modi government’s failures in the area of higher education. The almost deliberate nonpayment of fellowship amount to a few or several thousand research fellows all over the country appears to be a calculated fall out of policies followed at the highest level.
 

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