Prof. Ashutosh Sharma says Finance Ministry may soon notify fellowship hike for research scholars funded by different agencies. Research scholars have been demanding for an increase since July-August last year. DST is also coordinating a mechanism to ensure speedy and regular release of fellowship.
Research scholars from various institutions and labs across the country who have been protesting for about six months now for a hike in scholarship may soon hear some positive news. “The DST [Department of Science and Technology] co-ordinates fellowship matters for science. They have taken meetings of all science funding agencies and conveyed their recommendation. The finance ministry takes a decision on this. As tweeted by the DST, this too has been done. The official order is now awaited,” Prof. K. VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India says in an email to me.
“Our research scholars are the foundation of our science and most important. There is no debate or disagreement on this. The discussions led by DST are based on this point,” says Prof. VijayRaghavan.
“As far as DST is concerned everything has been done from our side. We even brought all the stakeholders (funding agencies) on board so the outcome is applicable to all research scholars. From our end nothing is pending. The Finance Ministry is now looking at it. My hope is it will be officially notified as soon as possible,” says Prof. Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.
Even on December 28, 2018, DST had made it clear that it done its part and the matter was under consideration by the Finance Ministry. “Positive recommendations of the GoI-constituted Committee headed by incoming Expenditure Secretary are expected shortly,” DST tweeted. Further to that, on January 4 this year, Prof. VijayRaghavan tweeted saying: “A final decision [of the government-constituted Committee headed by the incoming Expenditure Secretary] is expected in a week.”
Researchers protesting outside the HRD ministry in Delhi arrested and taken to Parliament Street police station.
Among other demands, research scholars want 80% hike in fellowship. Currently, junior research fellows (JRFs) get Rs.25,000 per month while senior research fellows (SRFs) get Rs.28,000 per month. The last revision in fellowship was in October 2014. There are nearly one lakh PhD scholars in India.
Representatives had met Prof. Sharma and Prof. VijayRaghavan in end October and November 2018 respectively. They had also met Minister for Science & Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar in end December. What stands out is the constant update of the developments through tweets by Prof. VijayRaghavan, Prof. Sharma and DST.
‘Have done it quickly’
“I should say we have done it quite quickly. There has been some delay but not as long as is being made out,” says Prof. Sharma. According to him, a revision in fellowship after four years was due only in October 2018.
Prof. VijayRaghavan had gone on record saying DST had initiated the process of hiking scholarship even before research scholars had started their campaign. “Both four years ago and now, the process of enhancement had been initiated by the DST before the scholars started their campaign,” he tweeted on December 3 last year. “These things require a process which was on track and is on track. Your (legitimate) fretting will not speed or slow this ongoing process, in a situation where all involved want to get it done and where everyone is working hard”
Prof. VijayRaghavan says in the email: “DST will review the [fellowship] situation on a yearly basis. This will allow steady and calibrated changes and any rationalisation as necessary.”
Prof. Sharma refused to divulge the percentage hike that has been proposed. “The Finance Ministry is working on it. The hike will be based on some logic, some formula. I can’t say how much it will be. It is for the Finance Ministry to decide,” he says.
In 1999, scholarship was Rs.5,000. It was increased by 60% in 2006 (Rs.8,000-10,000), 50% in 2007 (Rs.12,000-14,000) 33% in 2010 (Rs.16,000-18,000) and 56% in 2014 (Rs.25,000-28,000).
Timely disbursal
Another major demand of research scholars is timely disbursal of scholarship. There have been several instances when scholarship has not been released for as long as eight to ten months at a stretch. “I had contacted DST and put pressure. So three months of my scholarship was released a few days ago. But several others have been suffering without fellowship for a longer period and many have quit due to irregular disbursement of scholarship,” says Nikhil Gupta, national representative of Research Scholars of India, an association leading the petition and a research scholar at the Centre for Biomedical Research, Lucknow.
Prof. Sharma does admit that there have been procedural issues in releasing the fellowship on time but assures that it will be sorted out soon. “We want to strengthen the process for timely release of scholarship,” says Prof. Sharma.
“DST is coordinating a mechanism to ensure speedy and regular release of fellowship. Glitches can come from issues at any of the steps in the pathways and a mechanism to monitor and correct is being put in place by DST,” adds Prof. VijayRaghavan.
Science Chronicle 
They are making fool only.
DST became incompetent.
Time to Revamp or Dissolve.
Mass Arrest of Research Scholars is Shameful to the Nation.
#SaveIndianResearch
#AnnounceHike
#HikeFellowship
Just compare the worldwide trend with India. India uses less than 3% of its GDP on research and out of that a major part is consumed by projects of DRDO and ISRO. Nominal amount is left for the research scholars. It’s a pity to see that the stipend of a first class PhD fellow is less than the salary of a 10th pass sweeper.
With PhD dropout rate of more than 50% India is world’s largest research killing country for sure.
If they are saying that the process is underway and was started before the scholars came on the streets then why have they been unable to complete it yet?
If they are saying that it takes a lot of time complete the protocol then they knew this since last 4 years. They can’t even give a sensible excuse to this situation that they have generated.
If a research scholar doesn’t complete his PhD in 5 years time he looses his fellowship period; but if these government officials don’t pass their reforms on time their salary is intact. They don’t loose there jobs. And that’s why they are not worried about anything.
As the research scholars are relentlessly performing to give outputs such as scientific publication, patents, technologies in international level, their emoluments must be considered accordingly like how the cricket players, other sports persons are acknowledged in terms huge salary and the research subject is not just like sports to entertain the people but they work for the benefit of humanity.
Dear Sir,
There is some zumlas nothing else they belong to sciencescommunity,, they are cheating & telling a lie with research scholars, scholars are bone of science. After so many meeting to all competent authority just given an assurance nothing else. Problem is that govt is thinking how much % increase. But scholars will not compromise less than 80 % .if Govt will be hike less then 80 % it means govt cheated with research Scholars.
Lal Chandra Vishwakarma
President SYS, AIRSA
AIIMS, New Delhi.
Correct saying by Vishwakarma Sir