'This is a disappointing answer': Why Shashi Tharoor isn't satisfied with Centre's reply on UGC-NET, JRF

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday criticised the Centre's response to his Parliament questions on UGC-NET qualifiers, Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) and research funding. He called it "a disappointing answer" that failed to address the issues he had raised.

Tharoor said the Ministry of Education had provided only a broad description of the existing fellowship framework instead of answering his specific questions on the widening gap between UGC-NET qualifiers and JRF awardees, and the long-pending revision of the UGC Non-NET Fellowship stipend.

"The Ministry's response merely provides a broad overview of the existing UGC fellowship framework; it fails to address the core concerns raised," Tharoor wrote in a post on X.

'Government sidestepped the core questions'

According to Tharoor, the ministry did not provide the year-wise data he had sought on the number of UGC-NET qualifiers, JRF awardees and the proportion of qualified candidates who received fellowships over the last five years.

"Instead of furnishing the requested year-wise data on UGC-NET qualifiers and JRF awardees, it relies on a general description of the existing scheme and alternative sources of research funding," he said.

The Thiruvananthapuram MP also said the reply avoided answering whether the government had examined the growing gap between the number of qualified candidates and available fellowships.

"The reply also sidesteps the question of whether the Government has examined the widening gap between qualified candidates and available fellowships or whether it intends to expand JRFs or revise the eligibility criteria," he said.

No commitment on Non-NET Fellowship revision

The Congress leader also criticised the government for remaining silent on revising the UGC Non-NET Fellowship, which stands at Rs 8,000 per month. He said he had previously raised the issue during a Zero Hour intervention in 2023 but had yet to receive any assurance from the government.

"I also raised this issue through my Zero Hour intervention in 2023, yet the Government continues to offer neither a commitment nor a timeline for its revision."

He added that strengthening India's research ecosystem required more than financial support. 

"Beyond financial support, there is also a pressing need to strengthen institutional research infrastructure, ensure adequate academic supervision, establish effective grievance redressal mechanisms, and undertake a comprehensive review of research fellowship support so that India's research ecosystem keeps pace with the aspirations of its scholars."

What Tharoor had asked

In Parliament, Tharoor asked the Ministry of Education to provide year-wise data for the last five years on:

The number of candidates qualifying the UGC-NET examination;
The number of Junior Research Fellowships (JRFs) awarded; and
The proportion of qualified candidates who received JRFs.

He also sought to know whether the government had examined the increasing disparity between UGC-NET qualifiers and JRF awards, whether it planned to increase the number of JRFs or revise the eligibility criteria, and whether it intended to revise the UGC Non-NET Fellowship stipend of Rs 8,000 per month, which has remained unchanged since 2006.

What the government said

Responding in Parliament, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar said the University Grants Commission (UGC) awards Junior Research Fellowships through the National Eligibility Test (NET).

According to the ministry, 6% of candidates appearing in the UGC-NET qualify for Assistant Professor eligibility, and UGC awards JRF for 11,750 slots each year.

The reply also noted that several ministries and organisations provide fellowships for PhD scholars, including special fellowships for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities and Single Girl Child candidates.

It added that research scholars could also receive funding through projects sanctioned by various agencies.

The ministry further said some students pursue PhD programmes without financial support, and that UGC introduced the Non-NET Fellowship to partially support such scholars, particularly those studying in Central Universities, remote areas and the North-East.

However, the reply did not include the year-wise data sought by Tharoor or specify any proposal or timeline for increasing JRFs or revising the Non-NET Fellowship stipend.