Even after the HRD ministry's clarification that the non-NET fellowship will not be scrapped, the students continued with their agitation demanding that the amount for the grant be increased.
UGC, had resolved to discontinue the scheme of non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowship, which is provided to those undertaking research in central universities across India, in a meeting held on October 7, contending that the fellowship programme was discriminatory in nature and lacked uniformity among universities in the selection process.
The commission had also cited shortage of funds as the reason behind inability to provide fellowships, triggering protests last week by the students from universities across Delhi demanding that the decision be revoked.
Ending days of hostility and apprehension among students, the government had yesterday asserted that non-NET programme would continue and that a review committee has been set up to have a holistic look into the issues of NET as well as non-NET fellowships. But the student's continued with their agitation.
"The HRD ministry has stated that it has appointed a review committee to study the issues related to the research fellowships provided by the UGC. It is just an attempt to divert the attention of the students who have been up in arms against the government.
"We will not accept any merit or economic criterion as they will clearly exclude students and reduce the scope of the scholarship when the need of the hour is to extend the scholarship to researchers in all public-funded universities across the country. We also want that the fellowship amount is increased," said Sucheta De, one of the protestors.
While the protesting students include those from Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Ambedkar University among others, those from JNU claimed that there was a university-wide strike on the campus.
Under the scheme, financial assistance was provided to students undertaking MPhil and PhD, they were provided Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000 per month respectively.
PhD students got assistance for four years and MPhil students for 18 months.
They also got a contingency amount per year to help them carry out their research. Hundreds of students from JNU, DU, Jamia Millia, Ambedkar University and other institutions have been protesting since last week at the UGC demanding the authorities to restore the fellowships.
While 100 of them were detained on last Friday and released later in the evening, the UGC officials had assured a student delegation that the decision will be reviewed.
However, students chose to continue the protest until their demands are met.
