HRD expedites process of releasing fellowship to students

In the backdrop of the outrage over the suicide by Rohith Vemula, the HRD Ministry has expedited the process of releasing fellowship to research scholars to ensure any delay does not lead to student unrest, according to official sources.
Officials said UGC had, in a bid to encourage research scholars, a year ago hiked the amount of fellowships, but many in the student community were unhappy because this increased amount was not reaching them.
Last month, some students of the Institute of Chemical Technology had brought to the notice of HRD Minister Smriti Irani that though their scholarship had been increased, the actual amount received by them was much less.

Following this, Irani had convened a meeting of UGC and AICTE officials and said the money will be transferred to the students within a week.
Recently, UGC had also put a notice on its website informing students that all fellowships and scholarships will be released shortly. It also gave an e-mail address for the convenience of students who face any problem.
Since the number of students who receive the fellowships is quite large, the ministry is keen that the funds are distributed among students as smoothly as possible, the senior official said.