'Struggling with financial hardship': AIRSA pushes for timely disbursement of MANF scholarships

The All-India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) has urged the Union Government to ensure the timely disbursement of the stipends under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) for five-year tenure to research scholars across the country.

The request from the AIRSA comes after several recipients of the MANF, approached the association over irregular and delayed disbursement of fellowship installments. Many research scholars have not received their monthly grants for several months, according to an official statement.

“This prestigious fellowship has empowered thousands of minority scholars to pursue advanced research, contributing significantly to national development and scientific progress. However, we wish to bring to your kind attention the persistent issues related to irregular and delayed disbursement of fellowship installments, which severely affect the academic, research, and personal lives of scholars,” the association said.

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'Burden of financial uncertainty'

A month ago, in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, the Ministry of Minority Affairs informed the researchers of MANF that the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) has disbursed the pending fellowship grants to respective recipients up to December, 2024, The Hindu reported.

“Further, NMDFC is in the process to receive funds under the MANF scheme from the Government for releasing fellowships to existing MANF fellows,” the Ministry said, as cited by The Hindu.

The AIRSA has also urged the government to implement a regular monthly disbursal model for the fellowship amount, similar to the salary model adopted for government employees. This, the association stated, would allow scholars to focus on their research without the burden of financial uncertainty.