Nationwide Protest By Researchers For Hike in Fellowship On 21st Dec’18
Protests! Silent March! It’s gaining momentum all over India at IIT’s, NIT’s, IIsc and other Renowned Institutes.
Done by whom you ask? – It’s by our fellow researchers & scientists of India.
Why are they protesting?
Why are they on the roads, instead of being in Labs?
Well, Its Just to ask what they deserve, a hike in their fellowship. An increment in their stipend so that they can at least survive & live a decent life in today’s costly society.
Science is a victim of today’s economy, very truly pointed out today by Times of India and various other leading newspapers such as financial times. Research scholars from several leading scientific organizations today are on the road demanding for a hike. In 2014, the fellowship was hiked from Rs 16,000/- pm to Rs 25,000/- pm. Then it looked a huge amount. But adding to today’s inflation and cost of living, is Rs 25,000/- as a fellowship justified?
History is evidence, each time science has got stuck in bureaucratic red-tapism, Dark ages has reigned on that country, and that is the situation today. India is going into dark ages, my dear ladies
and gentlemen, because our researchers are no longer in the lab, they are on the road demanding for justice which they don’t just deserve, they always needed.Science has to be nurtured. Scientists must be respected and honored. But why in the same lab, somebody will receive be PMRF fellowship of Rs 75,000/- pm, while others who are equally talented will get Rs 25,000/-. Is this justified? I leave this up to you to decide yourself!
Let me ask you a very crucial and critical question! A researcher today is nowhere receiving fellowship which is as per the market rate. How is it justified not to give them annual hikes and only talk about them when they come on the roads with placards demanding for a hike. This is not just unfortunate for our country, this is the biggest mistake the government is making today.
My Dear Prime Minister, My dear Leaders & Politicians, how long we should demand something which must be given to us. Our researchers are protesting silently, signing petitions, sending postcards to the PMO & HRDG but if they don’t get what they deserve, rest assured that you will have to not just import products from abroad. You will have to import technology from abroad. You will have to import talent as well from abroad because people will stop studying science.
Read Also: A Letter To Govt of India Requesting Hike In Research Fellowship
My dear govt of India, Don’t be just the importer, be an exporter of technology and science. Be the creator of science, don’t react to the world economy, create your own economy and for that, its time to wake up!
21st Dec 2018 will notice a nationwide protest by researchers all across India. If the demands are not met, it will be the most unfortunate event in this decade and history will hold you accountable for this grave mistake.
My dear bureaucrats, my dear leaders, you have stood up to every cause for India. We request you to stand for us, one more time. In return, We the researcher community of India, will stand for you for the next century and beyond.
