Govt hikes stipend to SRF, JRF research scholars by 20% up to Rs 35,000 per month

The government has revised the fellowship amount for junior research fellows (JRF) by over 20 per cent to Rs 31,000 from the existing Rs 25,000. The senior research fellows, those who have cleared the JRF and have a minimum of two years of work experience, will be entitled to get the revised salary of Rs 35,000 per month. Before this, the JRF and SRF stipends were revised in 2014 to Rs 25,000 per month and Rs 28,000 per month, respectively, in 2010.

The revised fellowship is applicable for those who are working on research and development programmes funded by the Centre government. It also applies for the JRF candidates pursuing post-graduate degrees in basic science or those doing graduation or post graduation degrees in any professional courses after clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) and GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering).

The revised fellowship is also applicable for candidates selected through the national level examinations conducted by the Central government departments and their agencies, and institutions such as Department of Science & Technology, Defence Research and Development Organisation, Ministry of Human Resource and Development, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Indian Council of Medical Research, Indian Institutes of Technologies, Indian Institutes of Science, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, etc.

Apart from that, the research assistants, who are pursuing postdoctoral degrees with over three years of research experience, will get a stipend of Rs 47,000 to Rs 54,000 per month. These scholarships, revised once in four years, have received the lowest hike of 20 per cent since 2010. Research scholars are reportedly disappointed with the approved hike and have said that they would continue their ongoing protest against the minimal increase in JRF and SRF fellowships.

Also read: SBI to acquire 15% stake in Jet Airways by converting loan into equity

In the age of automation, AI, companies focus on hiring people with soft skills: report

How Venezuela's crisis will impact petrol, diesel prices in India

Edited by Manoj Sharma