Ph.D. research scholars of Jipmer took out a silent rally in solidarity with the Research Scholars of India Forum. The forum has been agitating to press for a hike in stipends and quicker disbursement of research funds.
The students conducted the protest in support of the forum’s demand for an 80% hike in fellowship.
The forum has been on a strike in Delhi since January 16 to press for the implementation of the key demand.
Unkept promises
According to the Jipmer research scholars, the fellowship amount has been stagnant for almost five years.
Although the Ministry of Human Resource Development had acknowledged these demands and had promised to fulfil them within a certain time-frame, no action had followed, say the scholars.
According to the students, with no hike in stipend since 2014 and inflation growing, research scholars were hard-pressed to fulfil even the basic necessities of their families.
Researchers with the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) — a coveted fellowship offered by the CSIR — get ₹25,000 each.
