Mumbai, Dec 15: Members of the Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) met Members of the Legislative Assembly from the Mumbai region, Sana Malik and Rais Shaikh, to renew calls for the release of stalled fellowships for over 3,200 PhD scholars from SC, ST, OBC, and other marginalised groups who have been waiting since 2022 for disbursal under schemes administered by BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI, ARTI, and AMRUT.
The Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI) at Pune, for instance, is an autonomous organisation set up to promote educational and employment opportunities for marginalised communities.
Government Resolution Cited As Major Roadblock
SIO said that budgetary delays, compounded by a Government Resolution (GR) dated October 30, 2023, which caps awards and curtails institutional autonomy, have frozen payments and prevented new enrolments at the institute.
Protests Held, But No Follow-Up Action
Students have held demonstrations in Pune and Mumbai, demanding the disbursement of the fellowships. Uzair Ahmed, state secretary, SIO, said that although Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde issued a directive for advertisements within 10 days following these protests, no progress has been reported, leaving vital research on agriculture, climate resilience, and social sciences in limbo.
Allegations Of Campus Harassment Flagged
SIO also flagged incidents in Mumbai’s college campuses, which they said represented targeted harassment of Muslim students. The incidents mentioned include one on November 21, when Muslim pharmacy students at a Kalyan college were allegedly made to perform sit-ups and bow before a Shivaji statue after they were found offering namaz on the premises. SIO said no FIR has been filed in the case. The organisation also mentioned the controversy at a Goregaon college where students were banned from wearing burqas and niqabs.
Demands For Policy Rollback And Safeguards
The organisation has asked the government to withdraw the 2023 GR to restore autonomy and allocate non-lapsing funds in the 2026-27 state budget for 5,000 annual fellowship slots in STEM and social sciences.
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SIO also demanded an independent monitoring mechanism to track fellowship disbursals and anti-discrimination efforts, mandatory sensitivity training for faculty and staff on religious freedoms, alongside swift grievance redressal protocols.
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