Context: Researchers and doctoral students from about 30 universities across the country have written separate letters to the Union Minority Affairs Minister to increase the scholarships under Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF).
About Maulana Azad National Fellowship:
- Launched in: 2009
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Minority Affairs
- Implementing agency: University Grants Commission (UGC).
- Aim: For educational empowerment of students belonging to minority communities.
- Beneficiaries: Six notified minority communities viz. Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi and Sikh.
- Scope: The Fellowship will cater to the minority community students pursuing regular and full time research studies leading to award of M.Phil/Ph.D degree within India only.
- Mode of selection: On the basis of UGC-NET and CSIR-NET merit list.
- Fellowship: A monthly fellowship amount of INR 31,000 for initial two years to Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). A fellowship amount of INR 35,000 per month for remaining tenure to Senior Research Fellowship(SRF).
- Duration of fellowship: The fellowship is usually provided for a duration of two years for M.Phil. students and five years for Ph.D. students, with certain relaxations available.
- Objective: To provide five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from six notified minority communities, notified by the Central Government, to pursue M. Phil and Ph.D.
It covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) as under :
- Central/State Universities (including constituent and affiliated institutions).
- Deemed Universities.
- Institution fully funded by State / Central Government and empowered to award degrees.
- Institutions of National Importance as notified by Ministry of Human Resource Development.