ABVP demands hike in ICHR JRF fellowship, asks UGC to extend doctoral fellowship deadline

NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has submitted a memorandum to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) demanding extension of the deadline for claiming arrear in post-doctoral and doctoral fellowships and to solve issues regarding JRF fellowship.

The student body has submitted separate letters to the UGC and ICHR chairman today on different issues faced by students for availing fellowships.

It requested the UGC to direct universities to simplify the documentation process of doctoral fellowships and extend hours of grievance redressal services in the institutes.

ABVP pointed out the challenges including “limited time for documentation, restricted UGC portal access, limited inquiry time, cumbersome procedures at universities, and staff shortages leading to document rejections”.

Further it urged the UGC to keep the Scholarship Fellowship Management Portal open for longer hours each month, and instruct universities to streamline claim procedures for a smoother process.

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Extend JRF fellowship duration

Ashutosh Singh, national media convener of ABVP, in another letter addressing ICHR, demanded increase in the JRF stipend amount, timely disbursement, and extension of fellowship duration to three years with financial assistance, and also provision of a house rent allowance (HRA).

Currently, the ICHR grants stipend of Rs 17,600 per month, which is significantly less compared to the Rs 37,000 scholarship provided under UGC-JRF. It also highlighted the challenge faced by scholars as the ICHR JRF spans only two-year and stipends being disbursed at six-month intervals.

ABVP national general secretary Yagywalkya Shukla stated: "Immediate action should be taken to address the challenges faced by research students receiving fellowships from the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). ABVP demands that effective measures should be taken at various levels to ensure quality research opportunities for scholars. ICHR should effectively implement necessary reforms aligned with the current needs of researchers."