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Around 120 non-NET Ph.D. and M.Phil scholars at the University of Mumbai have not been receiving their monthly fellowships for the past six months. The delay in the release of grants from the University Grants Commission or UGC is the reason behind the same. The scholars claimed that they have not received the money since October 2016. On the other hand, some students did not receive the fellowship amount after December 2016.
The research scholars raised the issue with the authorities of the varsity and the higher officials assured that the varsity would pay the fellowships from its own funds.
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Last year, the central government cancelled the non-NET fellowships and clarified that fellowships will be given only to those candidates who qualify in the National Eligibility Test or NET. However, the decision taken by the centre did not go well with most of the non-NET research scholars and it received severe criticism. Later, the centre rolled back the decision and reinstated non-NET fellowships.
The major concern here is that the University Grants Commission has been reluctant to release funds for non-NET scholars since the centre reinstated non-NET fellowships.
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Most of the researchers at Mumbai University account on fellowship amount to meet their daily expenditure. Now, most of the research scholars are unable to pay their hostel and mess fees. The non-NET Ph.D. research scholars usually get Rs. 8,000 per month as fellowship and M.Phil students get Rs. 5,000 per month.
In 2016, Tata Institute of Social Sciences also clarified that they could not provide non-NET fellowships due to a freeze in funding from the centre. Currently, the institute has been paying Rs. 3,000 per month to both Ph.D. and M.Phil scholars. The absence of UGC funds forced the institute to provide fellowship from its own funds.
