Why Has the Non-NET PhD Stipend Not Been Raised Since 2012? Asks Shashi Tharoor
Congress leader and Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor has criticised the government’s inaction regarding the Non-NET PhD Fellowship stipend, which has remained unchanged at ₹8,000 per month since 2012. He raised the issue in Parliament nearly a year ago and recently shared the government’s delayed response on social media platform X, questioning why there has been no adjustment for inflation over the last decade.
In a previous parliamentary session, Tharoor urged Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the University Grants Commission (UGC) to address the stagnation of the stipend for non-NET research fellows, who do not qualify for the more competitive Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) awarded through the National Eligibility Test (NET). While other fellowship programs undergo regular adjustments, the non-NET stipend has remained static, despite inflation significantly impacting the purchasing power of research scholars. Tharoor highlighted how rising costs and limited resources are placing considerable financial strain on these researchers, hindering their ability to focus on research that is critical to India’s advancement in science, humanities, and social sciences.
The government’s response, received 11 months after Tharoor’s initial inquiry, was delivered by Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar. Majumdar outlined the structure of the fellowship system, explaining that UGC provides JRFs for students who qualify through NET, with special fellowships for certain categories such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Persons with Disabilities. Majumdar further clarified that non-NET Fellowships were introduced to extend some financial support to students admitted to PhD programs without external funding, especially in remote and North-Eastern regions.
Would concerned citizens care to look at the issue i raised in Parliament last year and the reply that has come 11 months later from the Minister? Can anyone find therein an answer to the question i raised — why has the Non-NET Ph.D. Fellowship stipend not been raised since 2012?… pic.twitter.com/ymQ1VnFJFd
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 14, 2024
Majumdar’s letter also mentioned the creation of grievance redressal committees within universities, including the mandatory appointment of an Ombudsperson to address student concerns, aiming to ensure that research scholars receive essential institutional support.
Tharoor, however, remains dissatisfied, arguing that the core issue—an outdated stipend—was not adequately addressed. He questioned the government’s failure to adjust the stipend in line with inflation, calling the response “minimal governance, less than minimal responsiveness.”
