UGC transfers 3 National Fellowship Schemes to concerned ministries

NEW DELHI: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has transferred the responsibility of three National Fellowship Schemes to the respective ministries. The concerned ministries will be implementing the schemes directly with effect from October 1, 2022, it said.

The UGC was entrusted with the task of implementing National Fellowship for SC, National Fellowship for OBC, Maulana Azad National Fellowship. The National Fellowships for Scheduled Caste and OBC falls under the ministry of social justice and empowerment. While Maulana Azad National Fellowship falls under the ministry of minority affairs.

“It is brought to the notice of all the stakeholders that UGC implemented these schemes up to September 30, 2022, only. The concerned ministries are implementing the schemes directly, w.e.f. October 1, 2022.” the UGC notice read.

National Fellowship for SC

National Fellowship scheme for SC students, is a central sector scheme introduced during the financial year 2005-06 to provide opportunities for pursuing higher education leading to MPhil, PhD degrees in sciences, humanities and social science streams.

The scheme provides for 2,000 new fellowships, 1,500 junior research fellowships (JRF) for humanities and 500 JRF for science streams, per year to SC students.

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National Fellowship for OBC

National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (OBC), is a scheme open to candidates who belong to OBC and are pursuing higher studies such as regular and full time MPhil and PhD degrees in sciences, humanities, social sciences and engineering and technology.

The scheme awards 300 fellowships every year for all the subjects for consideration of application received through online submission from research scholars belonging to the OBC category. There is also a provision of 3 percent reservation of slots for consideration of award of fellowship to research scholars for Persons with Disability (PwD) who belong to OBC category.

Maulana Azad Fellowship Scheme

The objective of the Maulana Azad Fellowship Scheme (MANF) is to provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities namely, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh, to pursue MPhil and PhD. The scheme covers all universities recognized by the UGC.