Disabled, OBC students raise plaint on delay in fellowships to govt & UGC

Over two weeks after minority students complained that their fellowships have been suspended, students with disability as well as students from Other Backward Classes (OBC) have raised the same complaint to the Centre and the University Grants Commission.

The National Fellowship for Persons with Disabilities (NFPWD) as well as the National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) have been delayed and irregular, students have complained.

In their letter, dated August 5, the NFPWD Scholars Association said that the delay in fellowships has caused distress. “This long delay in disbursement of fellowships has caused several issues. Scholars have reported issues of depression and helplessness. Adequate and consistent funding is a must for the pursuit of research. This delay has left many researchers unable to focus on their research work, while some are considering dropping out of their programmes,” the letter read.

Selected scholars cannot take up any other work.

The letter is marked to the Union ministers of social justice and empowerment, as well as finance, apart from the UGC chairperson and the CEO of Canara Bank, the bank from where the students get their fellowships.

“Such a long delay also violates the fundamental rights to equality (since the delay is much longer in NFPWD vis-a-vis other comparable fellowships) and to a life with dignity (since, without the timely disbursement of NFPWD, the selected candidates cannot afford goods and services pertinent to a life with dignity) of the selected candidates,” the letter said.

Similarly, on August 1, the All India OBC Students Association wrote a similar letter to the UGC chairperson, complaining of delayed fellowships. “It will be difficult to continue without the fellowship amount as most of them are from socially, educationally, and economically backward communities,” the letter read.