Fellowship cut to a third, students angry

BENGALURU: The State Government, which is struggling with reduced revenues because of the Covid pandemic, has cut down research funds for students from the minority community. The fellowship amount, which was Rs 25,000 per student per month earlier, has been reduced to Rs 8,333 The students, with the aid reduced to one-third, are approaching various government departments to make their pleas heard. 

After failing to get an appointment with Minister for Minority Welfare Shrimant Patil, students have taken their appeal to opposition leaders asking them to raise the issue during the winter session of the legislature.
“The fellowship that many of us depended on to continue with research and to survive has been cut to an extent that several of us are thinking of leaving research.

"We are not supposed to take up other jobs while being enrolled for the fellowship. The fund cut makes it highly unfeasible to carry out quality research,” students said. “One of the reasons to start the fellowship was to help students focus completely on their research for three to four years of PhD or two years of MPhil. It was also to enable them to complete PhDs on time, and dissuade dropouts.

"This initiative was a first by the Karnataka government to promote research among minority students,” said Akram Pasha, former director of the Directorate of Minority Welfare, told TNSE. More than 300 MPhil and PhD students have enrolled for the fellowship since 2016. Over the years, lack of timely disbursal of the amount has also been a worry for students. The department, in a recent order, asked district-level officers to disburse the amount that was pending for students from previous years. 

Another point of concern is the department’s recent order that students have to pay the full fellowship amount with a 12 per cent interest if they do not complete their PhD in three years. Students claimed that abiding strictly by the time frame suggested is impossible as it takes at least three-and-a-half years to complete research, followed by reviews, before the PhD is awarded, students said.