JOIN USThe University Grants Commission (UGC) has decided to discontinue non-NET fellowships for MPhil and PhD students at central universities from the next academic session, drawing protests from the student community.
A decision was taken by the higher education regulator at its meeting recently on the recommendation of an expert committee, constituted earlier to frame guidelines for implementation of the Non-NET fellowship. Though the UGC “resolved” to discontinue the scheme, it decided that it will continue providing financial assistance to students who had been awarded fellowship under the scheme so far.
“There were complaints about the misuse of the fellowship by the students,” UGC sources said. The UGC’s decision is subject to the approval of the Human Resource Development Ministry. At this moment, it was not immediately clear if the Ministry had also given its approval to the higher education regulator’s decision to junk non-NET fellowship.
Comments of the UGC chairman Ved Prakash could not be taken as he neither picked up the phone calls nor responded to a text message sent on his mobile phone.
Under the scheme, the UGC granted scholarships of Rs 5,000 a month for MPhil students and Rs 8,000 a month to PhD students so far to support students undertaking research in central universities.
The UGC’s decision drew protest from the students groups in Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University.