Non-NET fellowships to stay: Irani

NEW DELHI: After days of protests by students opposing the plan to discontinue University Grants Commission’s non-National Eligibility Test fellowship, the human resource development (HRD) ministry on Sunday appointed a review committee to look into the issue.

HRD minister Smriti Irani, meanwhile, said non-NET fellowships would continue and there was a need to include students from state universities in it. The announcement came after she met an eight-member delegation of students from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

In a tweet after meeting the students, Irani said, “Not being discontinued. Met @ABVPvoice re need to include state uni students n dbt so that students accrue benefit directly (sic).” The tweet was in response to a concern raised by CPI(M) MP in Rajya Sabha Ritabrata Banerjee who had also written to the minister expressing concerns over the decision to scrap the non-NET fellowship.

HT had first reported about UGC’s decision to do away with non-NET fellowships on Oct. 20.

A release from the ministry said that a review committee has been appointed to look into issues related to research fellowships provided by the UGC — both NET and non-NET. “The ministry is in the process of reviewing the current research framework, efforts, opportunities, quality and output,” it said. The committee will submit its report by December.

The UGC on October 7, had resolved to discontinue the scheme of non-NET fellowship provided to students undertaking research in central universities. Meanwhile, left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) said: “JNUSU president was not informed about the meeting. Why only ABVP representatives met her?”