Only 6% of NET qualifiers receive UGC JRF, while the Non-NET Fellowship has remained unchanged at ₹8,000 per month for nearly two decades.
The scale of India's research funding gap has come under fresh scrutiny after the Union government confirmed in Parliament that only a small fraction of candidates who qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) receive the University Grants Commission's (UGC) prestigious Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), while the Non-NET Fellowship has remained unchanged for nearly two decades.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on July 20, the Ministry of Education informed Parliament that the UGC allocates 11,750 Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) slots every year. Although lakhs of candidates qualify the UGC-NET examination annually, only about 6 percent are awarded the fellowship. The number of fellowships remains fixed irrespective of how many candidates qualify.
The issue was raised by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor through Unstarred Question No. 88, seeking year-wise data on NET qualifiers, JRF awards and the percentage of successful fellowship recipients over the past five years. He also asked whether the government had taken note of the widening gap between NET qualification and fellowship availability, and whether there were plans to increase the JRF quota or revise the eligibility framework to accommodate the growing number of research scholars.
Responding on behalf of the Ministry, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar did not provide the year-wise statistics sought in the question. Instead, the reply outlined the existing fellowship framework, explaining that JRFs are awarded on the basis of NET performance. It also noted that additional fellowships are offered by other ministries and funding agencies, while separate fellowship schemes exist for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, persons with disabilities and the Single Girl Child.
The Ministry further stated that research funding is also available through sponsored projects undertaken by universities and higher educational institutions, providing another source of financial assistance for doctoral scholars.
However, the government's response offered little clarity on the central concern raised in Parliament. It neither confirmed nor ruled out any proposal to increase the annual JRF quota of 11,750 or revise the eligibility cap, despite acknowledging that only a limited share of NET-qualified candidates receive financial support through the fellowship.
An equally significant concern relates to the Non-NET Fellowship, which supports Ph.D. and M.Phil. scholars enrolled in Central Universities who do not receive any other financial assistance. According to the Ministry's reply, the fellowship continues to be paid at ₹8,000 per month, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2006.
Over the past twenty years, inflation and rising living expenses have substantially reduced the real value of this financial support. For many research scholars, particularly those studying in metropolitan cities and university towns, the stipend serves as their primary source of income throughout their doctoral studies. Yet, unlike salaried employment where periodic revisions are common, the Non-NET Fellowship has seen no increase despite repeated demands from the academic community.
The Ministry acknowledged that the fellowship continues to support students studying in Central Universities, including institutions located in remote and North-Eastern regions. However, it did not indicate any timeline for revising the stipend.
The disparity between the growing number of NET-qualified candidates and the fixed number of JRF awards has long been a source of concern among India's research community. As higher education expands and more students pursue doctoral research, the proportion of candidates receiving fellowship support continues to decline because the annual quota remains unchanged.
The latest parliamentary reply highlights that while the government recognises the existing fellowship structure, it has not announced any immediate measures to expand funding or revise the long-stagnant Non-NET stipend. For thousands of aspiring researchers, the combination of limited JRF opportunities and an unrevised Non-NET Fellowship continues to pose a significant financial challenge.
With Parliament now formally drawing attention to the issue, any meaningful change is likely to depend on future policy decisions or budgetary announcements by the Ministry of Education. Until then, India's research funding landscape appears set to remain largely unchanged, leaving many scholars to pursue advanced research with limited financial support.
The scale of India's research funding gap has come under fresh scrutiny after the Union government confirmed in Parliament that only a small fraction of candidates who qualify the National Eligibility Test (NET) receive the University Grants Commission's (UGC) prestigious Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), while the Non-NET Fellowship has remained unchanged for nearly two decades.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on July 20, the Ministry of Education informed Parliament that the UGC allocates 11,750 Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) slots every year. Although lakhs of candidates qualify the UGC-NET examination annually, only about 6 percent are awarded the fellowship. The number of fellowships remains fixed irrespective of how many candidates qualify.
The issue was raised by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor through Unstarred Question No. 88, seeking year-wise data on NET qualifiers, JRF awards and the percentage of successful fellowship recipients over the past five years. He also asked whether the government had taken note of the widening gap between NET qualification and fellowship availability, and whether there were plans to increase the JRF quota or revise the eligibility framework to accommodate the growing number of research scholars.
Responding on behalf of the Ministry, Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar did not provide the year-wise statistics sought in the question. Instead, the reply outlined the existing fellowship framework, explaining that JRFs are awarded on the basis of NET performance. It also noted that additional fellowships are offered by other ministries and funding agencies, while separate fellowship schemes exist for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, persons with disabilities and the Single Girl Child.
The Ministry further stated that research funding is also available through sponsored projects undertaken by universities and higher educational institutions, providing another source of financial assistance for doctoral scholars.
However, the government's response offered little clarity on the central concern raised in Parliament. It neither confirmed nor ruled out any proposal to increase the annual JRF quota of 11,750 or revise the eligibility cap, despite acknowledging that only a limited share of NET-qualified candidates receive financial support through the fellowship.
An equally significant concern relates to the Non-NET Fellowship, which supports Ph.D. and M.Phil. scholars enrolled in Central Universities who do not receive any other financial assistance. According to the Ministry's reply, the fellowship continues to be paid at ₹8,000 per month, a rate that has remained unchanged since 2006.
Over the past twenty years, inflation and rising living expenses have substantially reduced the real value of this financial support. For many research scholars, particularly those studying in metropolitan cities and university towns, the stipend serves as their primary source of income throughout their doctoral studies. Yet, unlike salaried employment where periodic revisions are common, the Non-NET Fellowship has seen no increase despite repeated demands from the academic community.
The Ministry acknowledged that the fellowship continues to support students studying in Central Universities, including institutions located in remote and North-Eastern regions. However, it did not indicate any timeline for revising the stipend.
The disparity between the growing number of NET-qualified candidates and the fixed number of JRF awards has long been a source of concern among India's research community. As higher education expands and more students pursue doctoral research, the proportion of candidates receiving fellowship support continues to decline because the annual quota remains unchanged.
The latest parliamentary reply highlights that while the government recognises the existing fellowship structure, it has not announced any immediate measures to expand funding or revise the long-stagnant Non-NET stipend. For thousands of aspiring researchers, the combination of limited JRF opportunities and an unrevised Non-NET Fellowship continues to pose a significant financial challenge.
With Parliament now formally drawing attention to the issue, any meaningful change is likely to depend on future policy decisions or budgetary announcements by the Ministry of Education. Until then, India's research funding landscape appears set to remain largely unchanged, leaving many scholars to pursue advanced research with limited financial support.
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