PhD scholars in Hyderabad face long wait for Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) stipend
HYDERABAD: For seven straight months now, multiple city-based PhD scholars from IIT Hyderabad, University of Hyderabad (UoH), and MANUU have not received their monthly stipends from the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), disbursed by the Union ministry of minority affairs (MoMA).
While the Centre had announced the discontinuation of the fellowship from the 2022-23 batch, it assured that existing scholars would continue receiving the amount until the end of their tenures.
The MANF provides five-year fellowships as financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities - Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, and Sikh.
Pending stipends running into lakhs: Students
Students have voiced concerns that their pending stipends of over seven months are now running into a few lakhs, leading to financial constraints.
A PhD scholar from IIT Hyderabad, who receives Rs 37,000 a monthly, excluding HRA, said the delay has become a trend now as this is the sixth time it is happening in around three to four years. "I have to submit my semester fee of Rs 57,000, which is already higher than many other central universities. Moreover, the annual contingency amount of Rs 20,000 is also pending. I know of several scholars who even left the scholarship as they were married and their families are depended on them."
Another PhD scholar from MANUU, whose lump sum amount of Rs 2.59 lakh is stalled, said she was forced to borrow over Rs 1 lakh due to the delay. "I have to pay monthly house rent and other miscellaneous expenses for which I had to borrow money. Moreover, I also have to take Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 from my family, and as a PhD scholar, it is embarrassing to ask them. Research fieldwork is also stalled due to the unpaid amount."
Hyderabad: For seven straight months now, multiple city-based PhD scholars from IIT Hyderabad, University of Hyderabad (UoH), and MANUU have not received their monthly stipends from the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), disbursed by the Union ministry of minority affairs (MoMA).
While the Centre had announced the discontinuation of the fellowship from the 2022-23 batch, it assured that existing scholars would continue receiving the amount until the end of their tenures.
The MANF provides five-year fellowships as financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities - Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, and Sikh.
Pending stipends running into lakhs: Students
Students have voiced concerns that their pending stipends of over seven months are now running into a few lakhs, leading to financial constraints.
A PhD scholar from IIT Hyderabad, who receives Rs 37,000 a monthly, excluding HRA, said the delay has become a trend now as this is the sixth time it is happening in around three to four years. "I have to submit my semester fee of Rs 57,000, which is already higher than many other central universities. Moreover, the annual contingency amount of Rs 20,000 is also pending. I know of several scholars who even left the scholarship as they were married and their families are depended on them."
Another PhD scholar from MANUU, whose lump sum amount of Rs 2.59 lakh is stalled, said she was forced to borrow over Rs 1 lakh due to the delay. "I have to pay monthly house rent and other miscellaneous expenses for which I had to borrow money. Moreover, I also have to take Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 from my family, and as a PhD scholar, it is embarrassing to ask them. Research fieldwork is also stalled due to the unpaid amount."
While the Centre had announced the discontinuation of the fellowship from the 2022-23 batch, it assured that existing scholars would continue receiving the amount until the end of their tenures.
The MANF provides five-year fellowships as financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities - Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, and Sikh.
Pending stipends running into lakhs: Students
Students have voiced concerns that their pending stipends of over seven months are now running into a few lakhs, leading to financial constraints.
A PhD scholar from IIT Hyderabad, who receives Rs 37,000 a monthly, excluding HRA, said the delay has become a trend now as this is the sixth time it is happening in around three to four years. "I have to submit my semester fee of Rs 57,000, which is already higher than many other central universities. Moreover, the annual contingency amount of Rs 20,000 is also pending. I know of several scholars who even left the scholarship as they were married and their families are depended on them."
Another PhD scholar from MANUU, whose lump sum amount of Rs 2.59 lakh is stalled, said she was forced to borrow over Rs 1 lakh due to the delay. "I have to pay monthly house rent and other miscellaneous expenses for which I had to borrow money. Moreover, I also have to take Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 from my family, and as a PhD scholar, it is embarrassing to ask them. Research fieldwork is also stalled due to the unpaid amount."
Hyderabad: For seven straight months now, multiple city-based PhD scholars from IIT Hyderabad, University of Hyderabad (UoH), and MANUU have not received their monthly stipends from the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), disbursed by the Union ministry of minority affairs (MoMA).
While the Centre had announced the discontinuation of the fellowship from the 2022-23 batch, it assured that existing scholars would continue receiving the amount until the end of their tenures.
The MANF provides five-year fellowships as financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities - Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, and Sikh.
Pending stipends running into lakhs: Students
Students have voiced concerns that their pending stipends of over seven months are now running into a few lakhs, leading to financial constraints.
A PhD scholar from IIT Hyderabad, who receives Rs 37,000 a monthly, excluding HRA, said the delay has become a trend now as this is the sixth time it is happening in around three to four years. "I have to submit my semester fee of Rs 57,000, which is already higher than many other central universities. Moreover, the annual contingency amount of Rs 20,000 is also pending. I know of several scholars who even left the scholarship as they were married and their families are depended on them."
Another PhD scholar from MANUU, whose lump sum amount of Rs 2.59 lakh is stalled, said she was forced to borrow over Rs 1 lakh due to the delay. "I have to pay monthly house rent and other miscellaneous expenses for which I had to borrow money. Moreover, I also have to take Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 from my family, and as a PhD scholar, it is embarrassing to ask them. Research fieldwork is also stalled due to the unpaid amount."
Next Story