Withdraw CSIR fellowship cancellation of 300 PhD scholars: AIRSA writes to Jitendra Singh

NEW DELHI: All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) in a letter to Union minister of science and technology Jitendra Singh requested to withdraw the termination of CSIR fellowships for PhD scholars. Last month, AIRSA informed the CSIR director that fellowships for around 300 PhD scholars have been terminated due to non-submission of annual progress reports to CSIR-Human Resource Development Group.

Despite their repeated attempts to communicate with the CSIR office on the termination of the research fellowships, no resolution has been found yet, AIRSA informed the minister.

“These scholars, currently pursuing their PhD across various institutes nationwide, have qualified for the National CSIR-NET-JRF examination, yet find themselves without the necessary financial support as CSIR has terminated their research scholar's fellowship during their PhD,” the students group appealed to the ministry to safeguard the scientific careers by providing support.

The students group said that financial assistance, mentorship or any other form of support from the ministry will help “ensure the continuity and success of research endeavours”.

It had earlier said that the students failed to submit the annual report due to various reasons, including “challenges faced during the research process, personal issues, or administrative bottlenecks”.

“Your support will not only benefit us as individuals but will also contribute to the broader scientific community and its future. We kindly request you to consider our appeal with the urgency it deserves, and we would be deeply grateful for any assistance you can provide,” the letter read.

A total of 6,988 candidates were declared qualified in CSIR UGC-NET December 2023 exam. 1,424 candidates qualified for CSIR UGC-NET and 23 students have passed the exam for JRF only. The council also announced 1,875 students have obtained the cut-off marks and qualified for UGC JRF-NET.