Even after the Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani clarified that the non-NET fellowship will not be scrapped, a group of students continued their agitation demanding that the government should give it in written and that the amount for the grant be increased.
The protesters who continued with their “Occupy UGC” demonstration also painted graffiti in black and red on the walls adjacent to the Union Grants Commission (UGC) building, in a mark of protest. It read “#Occupy UGC...This wall will fall”.
While the protesting students include those from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Ambedkar University among others, those from JNU claimed that there was a university-wide strike on campus.
“The HRD ministry has stated that it has appointed a review committee to study the issues related to the research fellowships provided by the UGC. It is just an attempt to divert the attention of the students who have been up in arms against the government,” said Sucheta De, one of the protesters.
“We will not accept any merit or economic criterion as they will clearly exclude students and reduce the scope of the scholarship when the need of the hour is to extend the scholarship to researchers in all public-funded universities across the country,” she added.
The UGC had resolved to discontinue the scheme of non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowship, which is provided to those undertaking research in Central universities across India, in a meeting held on October 7, contending that the fellowship programme was discriminatory in nature and lacked uniformity among universities in the selection process.
It had also cited shortage of funds as one of the reasons behind discontinuing the protest. The decision triggered protests last week by the students from universities across Delhi demanding that the decision be revoked.
However, ending the anxiety among students, the government had on Sunday asserted that non-NET programme would continue and that a review committee has been set up to have a holistic look into the issues of NET as well as non-NET fellowships. But the students continued with their agitation.
Under the scheme, financial assistance was provided to students undertaking MPhil and PhD, they were provided Rs.5,000 and Rs.8,000 per month respectively.
PhD students got assistance for four years and MPhil students for 18 months.
They also got a contingency amount per year to help them carry out their research. Hundreds of students from JNU, DU, Jamia Millia, Ambedkar University and other institutions have been protesting since last week at the UGC, demanding the authorities to restore the fellowships.
The govt had asserted that non-NET programme would continue and that a review committee will look into the issues of NET as well as non-NET fellowships
