DST scheme an ‘eyewash’; fellowships delayed months, project approval takes years, allege women scientists

NEW DELHI: A woman post-doctoral fellow at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Mohali, also a beneficiary of the DST Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) programme, has gone 10-12 months without funds.

“For the last 10 to 12 months, I am not getting any fellowship,” the scholar told a group of researchers gathered online to discuss the funding problem. “Due to lack of funds I cannot conduct any field work, especially in high altitude areas and these areas are available for a limited period. The delay in funds has delayed my research analysis.”

The IISER Mohali scholar isn’t alone. About a dozen attended the online meeting organised by the All-India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) to discuss the issue of stalled research, first due to the glacial pace of approvals and the huge delays in disbursement of funds. The body later wrote to the DST.

The WISE programme is part of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) Women Scientists Scheme (WOS). The WOS’s umbrella scheme, Women in Science and Engineering-KIRAN (WISE-KIRAN), launched in 2014 to support women in science and technology, is now facing significant backlash from its own fellows. Researchers are reporting critical issues that fundamentally undermine the programme’s core objective of supporting women scientists.

The scheme includes WISE Post-Doctoral fellowship as well which, according to the official website, “provides opportunity to women scientists and technologists between the age group of 27-60 years who want to continue the research as bench-level scientists in basic and applied sciences”.

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DST fellowships delayed

Many fellows selected for the WISE-PDF have not received the second tranche of fellowships.

Fellowships, even when they do come, don’t arrive on time. Research fellows are required to return unspent funds to the DST by March 31 of each year. But delay in disbursement leaves them with very little time to utilise the funds; it’s already December.

A fellow from the Centre for Materials Electronics Technology (C-MET) Pune said: “The funds disbursal has been delayed since the inception. And even if we get funds for the second year in December now, how [are we] expected to utilise the funds efficiently and then return in March next year? This is unfair."

Many researchers have been facing the same issue for the last two to three years, said AIRSA.

Another fellow from the chemistry department of Panjab University Chandigarh described how funds disbursement has been a problem all through. “It's been more than eight months since I have received any response from DST,” she said. “I have called many times with no response from anyone. We are informed every time that the file is under consideration.”

She added that even for her first sanction, she did not receive the grants for a full year and eventually had to visit the DST office. She stated: “People don't care in the department about the kind of problems women scientists are facing due to delay in funds.”

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Some are planning to quit and take up regular jobs. “ All these delays are due to the lackadaisical state of the department leading to mental stress. And now many fellows want to resign for a permanent job for a monthly income,” said one at the meeting.

Department of Science and Technology apathy

The problem is not limited to just funds disbursal. All processes are painfully slow, complained women researchers, and the bureaucracy apathetic and rude.

A microbiology researcher waited three years for her project to get final approval. It was first selected in June 2021, during peak COVID-19 pandemic. The interview was conducted in February, 2023. After many delays, revisions and emails to the DST, she got her final selection in February, 2024. She had to wait nearly the whole year before receiving the first sanctioned amount in October. During those months of wait, she was selected for the post of assistant professor but ultimately lost the job because she was a WOS researcher.

Women scientists who have contacted DST to inquire about their fellowships were allegedly met with rudeness and apathy. “Whenever we call, the person from the department talks rudely. This is not the way you treat a person,”said a scholar in the AIRSA meeting.

Even the institutions where the researchers work do little to help. ““The institute takes no responsibility and keeps asking for receipts,” a fellow stated.

In AIRSA’s letter to the DST, it has demanded AIRSA in a letter to DST has demanded: Regularization of payment cycles, expedited releases of pending dues and a transparent payment tracking system.

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Women Scientists: ‘This is inequality’

The women researchers also feel there is inequality in the amount disbursed.

One fellow said: “I feel there is a disparity between male and female researchers in India in terms of fellowship allocation. Like for other research fellowships under DST or Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) where everyone is getting more than Rs 80,000 and a house rent allowance (HRA). But in WOS women scientists get Rs 60,000-Rs 70,000 and HRA which hardly comes up to Rs 80,000. This is inequality.”

Others pointed out that other fellowships, such as the Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE scheme) and others run by DST or CSIR, are more generous.

“In other fellowships where men there enrolled, their fellowships are higher. This is not equality we talk about,” said a researcher. “If the fellowship is for three years, where half of the time we are running for money, how are we expected to do quality research and show results without funds? We have to buy chemicals and equipment to speed up the work.”

Another said: “If the government cannot disburse funds, they should not open such programmes.”

Cuts in research funding, posts

A fellow alleged that over the years the number of fellows selected has declined. “The number of fellows selected … is decreasing,” she said. “The last recruitment was done before Covid where around 60-80 fellows were selected. Now, only 20-23 fellows are selected. It's difficult for people to get in. Further, many fellowships like DS Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowships in Sciences, NPDF and others have not been recruiting for a year now.”

AIRSA members last met DST officials about funds delay in September. They had been assured that funds and stipends would be disbursed but no timeline was given. “A lot is lacking in the scientific research infrastructure with no platform to raise the voice of research scholars,” said a member.