Police stop students protesting at the University Grants Commission headquarters in New Delhi.
The protests against the discontinuation of the non-NET scholarship for students undertaking research programmes continued today, with many students being allegedly detained or manhandled by the police.
Shehyla Rashid, the vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University students' union, said students protesting outside the University Grants Commission office had been beaten up and forcefully detained. "Around 15 students were badly injured, many were hospitalised. Around 50 students were taken to the police station," she said.
On Monday, around 700 students from JNU, Delhi University, Jamia Milia and others went to the UGC to demand the immediate reinstatement of the fellowship for students taking admission in research programmes from the next academic session.
At a meeting held on October 7, the UGC had resolved to discontinue the scheme of non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowship, which is provided to those undertaking research in central universities across India. The commission contended that the fellowship programme was discriminatory and lacked uniformity among universities in the selection process.
But as students started protests, the Human Resources Development Ministry released a statement on Sunday, saying the non-Net fellowships will not be discontinued.
The students were not satisfied and alleged that the fine print reveals that the committee which will look into the enhancement and disbursement of scholarships, will also consider economic and other criterion.
Under the fellowship programme, financial assistance is provided to all students undertaking MPhil and PhD programmes.
The students have four demands which they say are yet to be met: The UGC decision discontinuing fellowships be unequivocally scrapped; that no financial or merit-related criterion be introduced; the stipend to students be hiked and linked to inflation and the fellowship programme be expanded to all state universities.
"Students across the country are angry and the government has resorted to tricks to deflect their anger, but we will not budge till all our demands are met," said Sucheta De, president of the All India Students' Association.