'₹35,000 a month...': Viral post on PhD stipends sparks uproar over India’s research funding neglect

India’s struggle to build a thriving research ecosystem runs deeper than just low R&D spending. For decades, the country has underinvested in critical scientific infrastructure and support, creating a vacuum where talent and innovation often wither before they can take root. The result is a cycle of neglect: the system breeds disillusionment among aspiring researchers, who are forced to choose between passion and basic survival — particularly in a society where rote learning still trumps inquiry.

A recent social media post, sparked by Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s critique of Indian startups, has reignited public discourse around this very issue. Amid growing scrutiny of bureaucratic hurdles and government priorities in India’s innovation landscape, social media is now spotlighting another sore point — how poorly the country supports its research scholars.

 

A viral LinkedIn post brought this into sharp focus, revealing that a PhD student at a top-tier institute like IIT Delhi, working on advanced AI research, earns just ₹35,000 a month.

“A friend of mine is 33, married, and pursuing a PhD in IITD — earning just ₹35,000/month. He is brilliant, cleared competitive exams (JEE, GATE, PHD INTERVIEW), and spends his days doing cutting-edge research (AI) and teaching undergraduates, Reviewed 100 of research Papers and Publish 10s of papers, Yet, he struggles to pay rent or support his family. Meanwhile, a graduate from a lesser-known college, with basic skills, earns double his stipend and lives far more comfortably,” the user wrote.

The post posed a hard-hitting question: “Why does our system reward mediocrity with money, and brilliance with bare survival?”

He added, “PhD scholars aren't just students — they're educators, innovators, and builders of the future. But they're being forgotten. Passion shouldn’t demand poverty. To all the researchers silently grinding: your work matters. You matter. It’s time the system showed it.”

The post drew strong reactions across platforms. One user commented, “The industry never bothers on your JEE, GATE score, your publications etc but focuses on whether your skills are sufficient to meet their requirement… We also have a number of PhDs receiving the stipend and at the same time preparing for competitive exams...!!! Does this look healthy...????”

Another echoed the sentiment: “This is true, the grant received by PhD students is very less. When I graduated, I also dropped the idea of PhD because of way too less stipend compared to what I could earn in job.”

A third added, “Indian government spends really less on R&D and more towards Freebies. I know several friends from my M.Tech who joined PhD. I wondered if they were serious about their finances? Considering inflation and cost, stipend students get at M.Tech and PhD level is not sustainable and often disappointing.”

But not everyone agreed. One user argued, “Firstly, this system is not just restricted to India and is evident in all other countries as well. Secondly, the salary of a person in any field depends on the market value and this is dictated by several other factors. Respectfully, I believe this is a very crude comparison.”

Another pointed out: “PhD scholars do valuable research, and yes, it contributes to national development. But they’re not employees—they’re students and future researchers, which is why they receive a stipend, not a salary.”

There were also voices raising concerns about quality in research programmes. “Considering that a major chunk of PhD aspirants do not have basic skills to deliver quality research, many of the PhD guides (including institutes of repute) do not have the competence to contribute to a value research and more than 80% of the institutions do not have proper infrastructure to supplement quality research, the huge money spent in the name of PhD program is a waste... It is also observed that many students join this program as a last resort to earn a monthly income,” a user wrote.