Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday strongly criticized the Union government's response to his parliamentary questions concerning UGC-NET qualifiers, Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs), and overall research funding. Tharoor labeled the Ministry of Education's reply as "disappointing," arguing it sidestepped crucial issues he had raised.
Concerns Over Data and Funding Disparity
Tharoor highlighted that the Ministry's response merely offered a broad overview of the existing University Grants Commission (UGC) fellowship framework. It notably failed to provide the specific, year-wise data he had requested regarding the number of UGC-NET qualifiers and actual JRF awardees over the past five years.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP further pointed out that the reply did not address whether the government had examined the increasing disparity between qualified candidates and available fellowships. He also noted the absence of any indication regarding plans to expand JRFs or revise eligibility criteria.
"The Ministry's response merely provides a broad overview of the existing UGC fellowship framework; it fails to address the core concerns raised," Tharoor stated in a post on X, reiterating his dissatisfaction.
No Commitment on Non-NET Fellowship Revision
Another key area of Tharoor's criticism was the government's silence on revising the UGC Non-NET Fellowship stipend. This fellowship, which currently stands at Rs 8,000 per month, has remained unchanged since 2006. Tharoor mentioned he had previously raised this issue during a Zero Hour intervention in 2023 but had yet to receive any assurance or timeline for its revision.
He emphasized that strengthening India's research ecosystem demands more than just financial aid. It also requires robust institutional research infrastructure, adequate academic supervision, effective grievance redressal mechanisms, and a comprehensive review of fellowship support to align with scholars' aspirations.
Government's Response
In Parliament, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar responded that the UGC awards JRFs through the National Eligibility Test (NET). The Ministry stated that approximately 6% of UGC-NET candidates qualify for Assistant Professor eligibility, and UGC allocates 11,750 JRF slots annually.
The reply also listed various ministries and organizations that offer fellowships for PhD scholars, including special provisions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, and Single Girl Child candidates. It noted that research scholars can also secure funding through projects sanctioned by different agencies.
While acknowledging the existence of the Non-NET Fellowship to partially support scholars, particularly in Central Universities, remote areas, and the North-East, the government's response did not include the specific year-wise data requested by Tharoor, nor did it outline any proposals or timelines for increasing JRFs or revising the Non-NET Fellowship stipend.