Give age relaxation for OBCs in INSPIRE faculty fellowships: AIOBCSA urges Jitendra Singh

NEW DELHI: The All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) has requested Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology to give age relaxation for Other Backward Class (OBC) category in Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) faculty fellowships at par with Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and women candidates.

Also Read | Centre plans to roll out ‘National Credit Framework’ from Class 5 to PhD

“We requested Shri Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Govt. of India to give age relaxation for OBCs in INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships on par with SC, ST and Women,” AIOBCSA said in a tweet.

We requested Shri. Jitendra Singh, Minister of Science and Technology, Govt. of India to give age relaxation for OBCs in INSPIRE Faculty Fellowships on par with SC, ST and Women @DrJitendraSingh pic.twitter.com/mNVdsmoRgE

— All India OBC Students Association (AIOBCSA) (@aiobcsa) July 28, 2022

In a letter addressed to Singh, AIOBCSA wrote, “We are happy that applications for INSPIRE Faculty Fellowship 2022 are notified, but there is an injustice in the upper age limit for Other Backward Class (OBC) category which is equal to General category as 32 years. In the same notification, there is an age relaxation in upper age limit for SC, ST, women candidates (37 years) and Divyangjans (42 years).

The Students Association informed that other advertisements of Department of Science and Technology (DST) have given following age relaxation to OBCs in upper age limit:

• DST SERB- National Post Doctoral Fellowship (N-PDF) - 40 years
• DST SERB- Startup Research Grant (SRG) - 45 years
• DST SERB- Teachers Associateship for Research Excellence (SERB-TARE) - 45 years

Also Read | NTA invites applications for YASASVI entrance test for scholarships to school students

“In view of the above, denying age relaxation for OBCs in faculty fellowships is gross injustice to socially and educationally backward communities. Hence, I request you to please include the age relaxation for OBC aspirants and do the needful at the moment,” AIOBCSA president urged Jitendra Singh.

The DST has started registration for the INSPIRE faculty fellowship programme from July 1, 2022. Candidates will be able to apply for DST INSPIRE fellowship for the academic year 2022 till August 15.