IIT-B students protest, want scholarship funds to be given on time

MUMBAI:AROUND 700 students of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) on Friday held protest meetings on campus, demanding timely disbursement of scholarship funds. They also demanded that the Centre increase funds to account for growing expenses.

“There are instances when the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) fellows do not receive their fellowship for six to 12 months. Scholars availing the institute fellowship do not receive any house rent allowance, whereas married scholars have to queue in a long waiting list to avail separate hostel facilities,” said one of the protesting students.

In a statement released by students, it was highlighted that research scholars have to pay a semester fee of around ₹17,000, along with mess fees of ₹27,000, which have increased by ₹7,000 in the past year.

“This lump sum payment of around ₹45,000 every semester often becomes troublesome for many students, especially when the fellowship amount is minimal and paid irregularly,” said another student.

Meanwhile, some students from IIT Delhi and other institutes, who were participating in a hunger strike outside the department of science and technology (DST) office met the officials.

“Officials in DST assured us of a hike in fellowship. The process is about to be completed, the notification for which may come in a few days. They also assured that the percentage of hike will be reasonable,” said a student.

The officials have also informed students that disbursal and regular revision of fellowship will be taken care under a new formed committee.

In February, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences students’ union had called for a bandh to protest the institute’s decision to withdraw fee waivers to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Other Backward Classes students eligible for the Government of India Post Matric Scholarship (GOI-PMS). Students across all the campuses – Mumbai, Hyderabad, Tuljapur and Guwahati – participated in the bandh, which lasted for several weeks.

Following the protests, an inquiry committee constituted by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes had previously recommended that the institute waive off the dining and hostel charges for ST students.