On Friday, researchers across centrally-run institutions participated in a nationwide peaceful protest called by the All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) to register their unhappiness with the 20 per cent hike implemented by the union government.
A week after the Department of Science and Technology (DST) announced a 20% increase in fellowship stipend against the researchers’ demand of a 60 per cent hike, PhD scholars on Friday participated in a nationwide peaceful protest called by the All India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA), across central universities.
According to the revision announced by DST on June 22, a junior research fellow will receive Rs 37,000 monthly, up from Rs 31,000, and a senior research fellow will receive Rs 42,000, up from Rs 35,000. The last revision was made in 2019.
Around 3 pm on Friday, PhD scholars across universities joined in a peaceful protest rejecting the 20 per cent hike by the DST.
Apart from the 60 per cent hike in fellowship stipend, the protest also aims to raise issues such as the automatic revision of fellowships every four years, the revision of the non-NET fellowship, regular disbursement of fellowships, and the need for robust infrastructure for research. Researchers from Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), All India Institute of Medical Studies (AIIMS), and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) participated in the peaceful protest.
Many students also took to Twitter or did not go to their labs on Friday to register their dissatisfaction. “We are participating in the nationwide strike by not attending our labs,” said Ahinur Islam, a PhD scholar at the North Eastern Hill University, Shillong.
