A large number of research students pursuing PhD across the country are miffed with the University Grants Commission (UGC) over the delay in inviting applications for the Savitribai Jyotirao Phule Fellowship For Single Girl Child for the 2023-24 academic year.
The objectives of the fellowship are to “recognise the value of observance of small family norm” and the “norm of single girl child in society”, “to propagate the concept of single girl child norm”, and to “promote single girls in the society”. Any single girl child of her parents pursuing PhD in any stream/subject in recognised universities/colleges/ institutes is eligible to apply under the scheme.
T. Jithu of Malappuram in Kerala, whose daughter is doing research at Pondicherry University, told The Hindu that there had been no response from the UGC or the Union Ministry of Education to the queries being raised. In a recent memorandum to M. Jagadesh Kumar, chairperson, UGC, functionaries of the All-India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) said that their efforts to contact the section dealing with the fellowship had not yielded results. They pointed out that the research scholars were concerned over the uncertainty. V.K. Sreekandan, Congress MP for Palakkad in Kerala, too has sent a letter to Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, flagging the students anxieties.
The number of slots for fellowship will be decided every year on the basis of eligible applications, complete in all respects, received online. The fellowship will be granted up to the date of submission of PhD thesis or five years of tenure, whichever is earlier. The Junior Research Fellowship is ₹31,000 per month for two years. The Senior Research Fellowship is ₹35,000 per month for the remaining period. The contingency allowance for humanities or social sciences is ₹10,000 per year for the initial two years and ₹20,500 per year for the remaining tenure. The allowance for science students is ₹12,000 per year for initial two years and ₹25,000 per year for the remaining tenure. For persons with disabilities, the escorts or reader assistance is ₹3,000 per month.
The Centre launched the fellowship scheme in 2022, replacing the Swami Vivekananda Single Girl Child Fellowship which was stopped in 2019. The application for the fellowship for 2022-23 was issued on September 5, 2022. A research student in English language at University College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, said that the timely release of the fellowship was essential for continuing their work. “As many as 1,129 students had received the grant last time. Even as the academic year is ending, we are still waiting for the application to be issued,” Sonu Sharma, a research student in Physics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, said.
Members of the AIRSA were told by the UGC chairperson’s office that Mr. Kumar was not able to meet them because of “prior official commitments and important official meeting now-a-days”. They pointed out that the absence of the fellowship might force many researchers to drop out mid-way through their work. UGC officials could not be reached for comments.
