SVNIT students, scholars write letter to MHRD seeking release of stipends

Surat: In a letter sent to the secretary of Union Human Resource and Development ministry on Thursday, 226 PhD scholars and 250 MTech students of Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute (SVNIT) complained about irregular disbursement of stipends and delay in hike as per the directives. The letter follows the director’s missive informing April month’s salary for its existing staff and retired members will be indefinitely delayed owing to severe financial crisis in the institute. As a result of this, even the PhD and MTech students too will not receive their stipends.
The letter also metioned that the students are facing tremendous mental stress and will not be in a position to pay their academic and hostel fees of Rs 54,000 before the deadline. The students claimed that they are staying in institute’s hostel and have no other source of income to meet their expenses.
In case of PhD scholars, some also have families staying with them and have to live on the stipend only. The aggrieved students further claimed that their research work is also being affected from paucity of funds. They alleged about noticeable delays in passing of bills for services and goods purchased for their research work. The students also alleged that the institute did not implement hike in their stipend as per the MHRD’s directives of January 2019.
Due to failure in submitting audited accounts for 2016-17 and 2017-18 the institute did not receive its annual grants. While it has suspended its former in-charge deputy registrar Patij Shah and issued show cause notice of former in-charge registrar D P Vakharia, no formal inquiry has been initiated yet by institute to find out the exact cause behind the major financial lapses.