Nationwide Protests For Hike in Fellowship By Research Scholars
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Nationwide Protests For Hike in Fellowship By Research Scholars

Breaking News: Research Fellowship Hiked By 24%

IISER Pune & National Chemical Laboratory NCL Pune Research scholars have joined forces with other scholars from leading institutes demanding a hike in fellowship. Lately Research Scholar community has been uniting on a large scale agitating against the Government in demand of a hike in the monthly fellowship. Recently, In Delhi, a large fleet of almost 1000 PhD scholars demonstrated together fighting for their rights to a hike in pay.

After a series of such events, silent strikes and demonstrations by the PhD scholars the Government has finally chosen to speak up. In response to a petition letter sent to the department of science & Technology (DST), Govt of India on 30th October 2018, Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan, principal scientific advisor announced via a tweet that the demands and concerns of the research scholars are being considered seriously by the government.

As per Hindustan Times reporting Sachin Kumar Singh, a PhD student from IISER Pune said, “After we sent out the letter to the DST post the protest, we received a positive response to hold a meetin

g on November 6. We are hopeful that this meeting will reap positive results in favor of the scholars. Also, Shekhar Mande, the director general of CSIR, showed his support to our cause via social media. We hope the matter to reach a substantial point after Diwali.”

If we analyze the statistics of past increments in fellowship:

  • Year 1999 – Rs 5000
  • Year 2006 – Rs. 8000-10000 (60% Increase)
  • Year 2007 – Rs. 12000-14000 (a 50% increase)
  • Year 2010 – Rs. 16000-18000 (33% increase)
  • Year 2014 – Rs. 25000-28000 (56% increase)
  • Year 2018 – Rs 56,000 – 60,000 (100% increase) Should be given ??

As per the above stats  there is a gradual increase in the fellowship every 3-4 years. But since then there has been no announcement yet on the increase in fellowship which is the major cause of this agitation across India.

The meeting of the cabinet was supposed to be held on 6th November 2018. No recent updates have been released yet from the ministry over the issue. The questions which lingers around right now is :

  1. Will the Govt increase the fellowship amount ?
  2. If yes then by what amount?
  3. When the fellowship hike announcement will be made?
  4. How soon it will be implemented?
  5. How will the Govt categorize the hikes ? Will it be applicable only for JRF’s? Only For SRF’s? Or Both ?

Please share your views below in the comment section. What do you feel the hike amount should be? If you have any other suggestions which might help the Govt take favourable decisions do share then below.

Shekhar
Shekhar Suman is the Co-founder of BioTecNika Info Labs Pvt. Ltd. He is an Entrepreneur, Writer, Public Speaker, and a Motivational Coach. In his career, he has mentored more than 100,000+ students toward success in the Biopharma Industry. He heads the BioTecNika Group, which comprises BioTecNika.com, BioTecNika.org, and Rasayanika.com. An avid reader and listener who is passionate about BioSciences. Today Biotecnika is India's largest Biotech Career portal, with over 5 Million subscribers from academia & Industry. It's ranked among the top 50 websites worldwide in the Biology category.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. Yes there is need to increase the fellowship amount… Because researchers are the major part for innovation… They are at utmost risk of health during lab work with hazardous chemicals… There’s is also need of medical allowance and health insurance for every researchers like JRF, SRF and Reaserch associate ..

  2. Else we are forced to leave and join company and do regualar job instead of striving for something new.

  3. Tapan Kumar Roy, Parnasree, Kolkata 60.

    It is research, particularly in science and technology, by motivated and meritorious students that lays the foundation of invention contributing towards the meaningful and sustainable development of the nation if not of the world. Such efforts ought to be rewarded adequately and secured befittingly.

  4. No jobs for Ph.Ds in India, no value for phd. Life sciences phd is not fit in industry or academics .to show statistics in very university. Out of 100 phds only 10 phd gets jobs. Those 10 have to work for low salaries.

  6. Yes it should be increase,in some institutes there is no funds to buy chemicals,a scholar have to pay by his pocket money,how can he susutain his life.In India after PHD again we have to search for a job.No value for a PhD graduate.
    Increase the fellowship it will helpful for research.

  7. Hike in fellowship is good. But the most important thing is after PhD what next?. As you agitate for hike in fellowship, there should be effort to generate jobs for the PhDs. Nobody is agitating for that. After getting a considerable funding from the govt, for PhD, many of us have to sit at home, without any jobs, without any permanent income. Is this waste of public money. As we fight for increase in fellowship, we should also fight for employment generation also. There should be rules which strictly give preference for those with JRFs and SRFs, always JRF and SRF are considered equivalent to NET. If that is the case why should we aspire for it. Even with NET we are eligible for PhD. If the problem is funding, we may get good projects with higher funding than CSIR or ICMR. Please fight for the real cause..

    • Very true. Many of the research scholar even after clearing net and completion of PhD in good institutions went for abroad due to lack of job opportunities in India specifically in research. So concerns regarding our jobs as in terms of permanent positions in govt institutions should be given more importance. Because as research scholars work day and night to do their research.

    • Jobs are there!! Infact India needs additional 40 lac Assistant professor in next 12-15 years… And as u know now PhD is compulsory to be faculty at University(2021 onwards)!!!

  8. I feel this is the saddest part happening always in our country and that too in Life Science. I strongly support there should be a hike in the fellowship and create opportunities for further research else the whole science will get dissolved soon.

  9. Yes hike in fellowship is very important to get motivated in research work by people. All research scholar should get the benefit of fellowship hike including JRF, SRF, Resaerch Associate.

  10. I stronge supporter of hike in fellowship. The MD (PG) student get Rs. 65000 per month for the research work but PhD student get only Rs. 25000-28000 only.

  11. consistent timely release of fellowships to PhD scholars is of greater concern rather than hike in fellowship as of now to support the basic living of research scholars. Its been seen in most places the fellowships been released after 5-6 months of time and the student have to wait for such a long time to get it. Funding agencies should take some actions to release the funds timely for the benefit of scholars and students in the research community particularly.

  12. I too agree with Reemas comment. It is a very good thing that if Ph.D research fellowship is increased. But it is more serious and painful to stay jobless after getting the highest degree. Most of the Post-doc fellowships are also not enough to meet research expenses. So I think we have to unite for both fellowship hike and post-Ph. D job opportunities.

  13. i have seen research scholars working day and night so hard. the fellowship amount should be increased because they are spending not only their time, hard work, but there age, patience and many more mental and physical health too..those who are in to it ..know whats the scenario..inspite of knowing what after ph.d…post doc, teachership, job which are also not easy to get into..age limit too matters in many good goverment jobs as well as vacancy..No stability..family too suffers..lots of things..that even after spending straight 10 YEARS to something wont give u back in a positive way. See around… anything about science was once under laboratory under experiments under research.

  15. The fellowships are never released on time. It is the least priority of the funding agencies to do it. They don’t bother if the stipend is released on time or not. Because they no no-one will ask. We all do a lot of work in our labs but when you see what you are paid for it, it definitely discourage. It is very clear that our government is not at all serious about research. And also the post PhD life is a big question mark.

  16. Does any one can help in my dessertation.

    I am a student of BTech biotechnology final year and want to pursue my last semester dessertation project from any industry like pharmaceutical or fmcg or any other.

    Please help me out if any one have contact with any organisation and can help me out.

    Thank you

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