The Government has hiked the stipends provided to the Junior Research Fellowship, Senior Research Fellowship, and Research Associates for basic science researches. The research and fellowships handling department is the Department of Science and Technology (DST), who issued the order for increasing the stipend for JRF by 24% from ₹25000 to ₹31000.
The stipends for the Research Associates have been increased from ₹47000 to ₹54000, while the Senior Fellowships witnessed hiked stipends of ₹35000.
The Decision originated after two weeks of All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) and other research fellowships across the country started agitation against the stipends offered and demanded 80% raise.
“Some of us plan to go on an indefinite hunger strike till our demands are met. We have been demanding an 80 percent hike in our fellowships applicable from April last year,” Nikhil Gupta, the national representative of Research Scholars of India had said.
“The revised emoluments will take effect from 01.01.2019,” the order reads. “Respective departments should meet the additionality from their existing budget through matching savings in other schemes. At the time of the main budget for 2019-2020, this may be reviewed,” it added.
There was a meeting held with the HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar where the group of scholars asserted their demands when the Minister stated: “government is positive about the demand”.
“Selection for the award of fellowship shall ordinarily through common competitive examinations,” the order issued by DST reads. However, it also says that “this shall not be applied retrospectively and the persons already enrolled shall be exempted.”