Stipends for Junior Research Fellowships (JRF), Senior Research Fellowships (SRF), and Research Associates have been increased by the Education Ministry. This is a huge relief for Ph.D. students and scholars all throughout the country. The news was on the ministry's official X (previously Twitter) page.
The JRF stipend has been increased from Rs 31,000 to Rs 37,000 under the revised fellowship stipend schedule. Similarly, the SRF stipend has been increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 42,000. This change would also help Research Associates, with Research Associate-I receiving Rs 58,000, Research Associate-II receiving Rs 61,000, and Research Associate-III receiving Rs 67,000. The government will have to spend an additional Rs 725 crore to implement the amended fellowship scheme.
The increase in monthly emoluments for researchers at higher education institutes will be effective from January 1, 2023. This hike has been long advocated for by the All-India Research Scholars Association (AIRSA) and is expected to revitalize the research and development ecosystem, according to a report by NDTV.
The ministry's decision comes after several protests by Ph.D. students and research associates, including rallies at academic institutions such as IIT Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) stated that raising the fellowship was a major priority and assured students that the issue was being actively considered.
In response to the ministry's decision, AIRSA stressed not only the significance of patience, but also the crucial importance of sufficient infrastructure for nurturing research discoveries. They emphasised the importance of discussing all connected topics face to face with professors, highlighting the diverse character of their requests.
