Mumbai : The students of several institutes, including the University of Mumbai, Tata Institute of Social Science, Indian Institute Technology and TIFR, have decided to protest against the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) decision to scrap the non-NET fellowship. They think that the decision will be an injustice for poor students who cannot afford to pay for their research work.
The commissioner decided to scrap the non-NET (National Eligibility Test) fellowship, under which central and state universities give fellowships of Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000 per month respectively to MPhil and PhD students who’re not getting any other UGC fellowship.
The fellowship is given to students to bear their travel expenses to field sites and libraries, for purchasing books and other study materials, for arranging accommodation and food, and for other research requirements.
Ajmal Khan, a PhD student at TISS, said that various students’ unions have organised a dharna at the University of Mumbai’s Kalina campus gate on Monday morning at 11 am.