M. Phil and Ph.D. research scholars working in various universities in India have approached the Minority Affairs Ministry and the Union Grants Commission (UGC) complaining about the delay of about nine months in disbursal of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF).
The research scholars say this is the first time there has been such a delay. Both the UGC and the Ministry have not given a proper reply to their calls and letters.
Naseera Neeloth, a Ph.D scholar with the Department of Women’s Studies, says she hasn’t got the fellowship since March, 2022. “It used to be regular, the longest gap being two months even during the pandemic. Now, since March, I haven’t got my fellowship despite submitting all documents regularly. I have two kids. It is very difficult to make both ends meet without the scholarship,” she said.
