Date: 27/08/07
Friends,
Research is of paramount importance in any country especially in the Third World, whereby it ensures that the intellectual self-reliance of the country is maintained. Financial Assistance is an integral part in this whole process wherein research scholars are able to sustain their activities without any worries for the want of monetary support. However, due to the impact of the neo-liberal economic policies, the government had started its retreat from the higher education sector which also resulted in hikes in fees. It is a success of the student movement of JNU under the leadership of JNUSU that in spite of the attack of neo-liberal policies, a low fee structure is maintained in our university. However, in order to take this struggle forward to ensure quality research in the university, the JNUSU raised the issue of financial assistance and fought a historic agitation in 2006. As a result of this struggle the administration was compelled to ensure that the amount of MCM for the BA/MA students was increased to Rs. 1000 and for M.Phil/Ph/.D to Rs. 1500. The administration promised to raise the amount for BA/MA and also raise the annual income cap in due course of time. However, they refused to adhere to this promise and after a 12 day indefinite hunger strike of in last July, the administration was pressurized to raise the amount for BA/MA students also to Rs. 1500 along with raising the income cap to Rs. 1 lakh, thereby bringing to a logical conclusion the long struggle waged by the JNUSU in the enhancement of scholarships for students.
This historic agitation under the leadership of JNUSU had a tremendous impact in the policy making in the education sector, where the JNUSU demonstrated at the UGC office demanding that all M.Phil/Ph.D students in all central universities be provided scholarships to pursue their research. The UGC has already announced this scholarship. After the agitation last month, the JNU administration was forced to principally agree that in the face of the relative autonomy granted to all universities, the cut-off date for the fellowships be fixed from July 2005. However, even days after the agitation, the fellowships have not been disbursed to the students. Moreover, the MCM for the M.Phil/PhD students have been stopped I view of this scholarship leading to financial distress for the students. The JNUSU President today has submitted a letter to the VC demanding immediate disbursal of scholarships to the students, failing which the Administration will have to face demonstrative actions. We appeal to the student community in the coming days to rally behind the JNUSU in pressurizing the administration to act upon this genuine issue.
With regard to the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowships for SC/ST students, the students are required to submit a progress report of their research work in the centre office through their supervisors at the earliest. This has to be done so that the university can send the utilization certificate for the fellowship to the UGC, which is required for the disbursal of the second installment of the Fellowships.
Sd/- Dhananjay, President, JNUSU.
Sd/- Jyotsna, Jt. Secy, JNUSU.
