#ReleaseUGCJRF: “We Are More Worried About Our Stomach And Family Than Our Research Now”

#ReleaseUGCJRF is a campaign ignited after the delay in UGC Fellowships, as researchers find it hard to make ends meet amidst a pandemic.

In the middle of COVID-19 concern, research scholars in India are left in a disappointing situation due to the delay in disbursement of centrally affiliated fellowships. Junior Research Fellows said that “Despite thousands of letters and emails to the concerned authority, not a single positive response has been received so far”.

Researchers have come forward with attention-grabbing measures to let UGC know of their long months of financial instability. Scholars have taken initiatives for signing group petitions, mailing in groups, and digital protests.

The Indian Research scholars have an official closed Facebook group named ‘UGC Fellowships Forum’ consisting of around 52000 members. Research work needs proper financial consistency. After the experiences heard from research scholars from various universities, we can say, research and livelihoods are at a stake!

Currently, they use the platform to discuss and share research-related, as well as their financial concerns. Researchers said that they are in depression as they are unable to meet necessary expenditure such as expenses, rent, medical, and expenses on research and education.

In an official statement, scholars cleared that thousands of researchers have qualified National Eligibility Test and Junior Research Fellowship but not yet received a single rupee from fellowships. Lakhs of research scholars have not received fellowship amount since 6 to 12 months due to irregularities in disbursements.

The delay of fellowship is gross negligence and injustice on part of UGC and government. Most socio-economically backward scholars like me choose research as a career choice and are able to pursue it only because of scholarships. We take JRF scholarship as an assurance by UGC so that we can concentrate on research and contribute to the nation.

The cruel part is, majority of scholars are in the middle of the PhD and we can’t quit and look for a job. We have invested our life and soul into our research. UGC should rightfully give what’s our right. Don’t make us fight for it. If there is no response or delayed further, we will do that too.

Praveen Kumar, Research Scholar from University of Madras told his concerns.

As of now, immediate clearance of all the pending fellowships of scholars, timely disbursement of fellowships, specify exact date for monthly disbursement of fellowship amount, and grievances or redressal mechanism for immediate action on issues related to fellowships are some of the demands put forward by Indian researchers. Scholars said that there has been no clear-cut communication from the UGC officials and Education ministry regarding the disbursement process.

UGC has not disbursed funds. Some people have not received funds for months altogether. It has made our life hell.  We wrote to the Education minister, UGC and Finance ministry, yet we have not received our fellowship. And what is more important is that the PFMS got updated with nearly 34 crores on 1 October 2020 and the money is not being disbursed. And UGC is telling it has no funds. So, we are wondering where did the money go?

The delay has seriously impeded our research and we have to struggle for survival. Whenever we try to talk to UGC, they say the amount will be credited “shortly” and or paid in “next payment cycle” but we are never given a concrete answer. Few scholars have been receiving the same reply since month.

Snigdha Konar, a PhD scholar from JNU shared her experience.

https://twitter.com/ShahanaSwathi/status/1317012689890127872?s=20

On the other hand, researchers also raised serious concern about the fellowships that are being denied as per the recent UGC guidelines which require a Senior Research Fellowship conversion meeting, if they have to receive fellowships on completion of three years of the research period.

During these trying times, the withholding of fellowships has considerably affected our sustenance as many of us have families to support.

A researcher says.

It has been 10 months since I qualified UGC NET-JRF examination, yet, have not received a single rupee from UGC. It has become impossible to carry on with research. Since UGC needs contingency bills trimonthly, I had to borrow money for that purpose.

Research has consumed my every rupee and now I have nothing to carry on my research. How can I pay house rent and stationary bills, when I have not received any money?”

Abhay Pandey, University of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh says.

Scholars whose SRF meeting were scheduled but postponed due to lockdown, scholars whose SRF documents haven’t been uploaded by the university as they were still being processed by the university, scholars whose SRF documents were uploaded by the university but not yet approved by UGC have asked to be withheld.

I left a good job for PhD and now government is forcing us to quit PhD. This is not just my case thousands of research scholars are suffering because of non-payment of fellowships. We are more worried about our stomach and family than our research now.

Naafih, a PhD scholar from Pondicherry University.

Pandemic has been really hard on me, I have to pay the mortgage of my home, pay medical bills, and grocery. The uncertainty had brought huge economical and mental crisis. It’s been four months since I’ve received my fellowship. This is after qualifying CSIR UGC NET with All India Rank 74.

Jiten Sharma, PhD research scholar, Central University of Gujarat shared his emotions.

“There are scholars whose fellowships have been withheld since September 2019. Since the change in regulation was made last year, there are many scholars who are in the fourth or fifth year of their research work. It would come as a great relief if the new regulation could be temporarily withdrawn during the lockdown period and the scholarships be released, as per the old norms and if this isn’t possible, to please release the pending JRF amount and postpone the upgradation to SRF till the withdrawal of the lockdown. There are instances where supervisors or HODs torture scholars by not conducting SRF meetings due to department politics also. In dire circumstances, the world as a whole is facing and to provide us with some relief in this matter as many of us are struggling to make ends meet”. Researchers collectively said in an official statement.