University authorities going to change the whole criteria for PhD admission and
are planning to make a clear-cut distinction between the financial assistance-ship
and admission.
Maulana Azad National Fellowships Minority students in
the University of Hyderabad allege that “the university is giving them step-motherly
treatment with regard to the Maulana Azad National Fellowship”. Those applying for
the M.Phil and PhD programmes in the university who are holders of the Junior Research
Fellowship (JRF) and the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship (RGNF) get a weightage
of 45 marks, but this privilege is not extended to students who hold the Maulana
Azad National Fellowship. The Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students
was introduced and funded by the ministry of minority affairs for the educational
uplift of students of minority communities.
The larger aim of this fellowship is
the socio-economic empowerment of minority communities “Muslim, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist
and Christian” to pursue higher studies at M.Phil and Ph.D level. According to the
University Grants Commission, the university/ institutions/ college shall admit
the Maulana fellows for research leading to M.Phil, or PhD irrespective of the stipulated
number of research students assigned to the supervisor or the department in the
concerned subjects. But it’s been three years since the fellowship came into effect
and Hyderabad University has not followed the UGC directions.“I have applied for
the PhD admission in the month of October as well as in the month of December. Both
times I was rejected and was not called for the interview. When I enquired, university
authorities said the academic council is yet to take a decision on the Maulana Azad
fellowship,” say’s one of the students who holds the fellowship.
University authorities
maintain that they are going to change the whole criteria for PhD admission and
are planning to make a clear-cut distinction between the financial assistance-ship
and admission. Mr. Rajashekar Reddy, dean of Student's Welfare, says, “Students
are holding different fellowships but most of the fellowships were availed without
having a nationwide common test. So, the university is reviewing the entire PhD
admission system in the university. Though JRF and RGNF students were exempt from
the entrance test, we are going to formulate a common criterion for the entire university,
where all the applicants, regardless of their scholarship, will have to appear for
the entrance test.” Not on a par with JRF and RGNF Minority students allege that
the university is not giving weightage for M.Phil and PhD programmes under Maulana
Azad National Fellowship.
Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle
