NEW DELHI : On January 21 the Union cabinet decided to double the number of CSIR-UGC Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) in the remaining plan period so that the benefits can be extended to more students pursuing their career in science and engineering.

The annual number of Junior Research Fellowships (JRF), open to students with MSc in any science discipline or a B.Tech in engineering, will increase from 1,200 to 2,400 each year, leading to a total of 12,000 fellowships over the next five years.

Science policymakers have been worried about the slow growth in the number of science and engineering doctorate-holders in India. “This will boost the number of Ph.Ds from India,” said Samir Brahmachari, the Director-General of the CSIR.

The number of science and engineering doctorates from India last year was a little more than 9,000, about half of an estimated 18,000 from China, Brahmachari said. Even Brazil had more than 10,000 PhDs, he said.

The total cost of providing fellowships for 12,000 more students in the 11th Plan period – up from 6,000 fellowships offered in the 10th Plan period – has been estimated at Rs 444.34 crore.

The additional fellowships are required because the number of students opting for a career in science has been rising for two years.

“In December, 2009 almost 1.12 lakh students appeared in the NET as compared to 87,000 students who sat for the examinations in June 2009 and December, 2008,” Brahmachari said.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) too has enhanced the number of fellowships. The UGC will now offer 600 fellowships every year compared to 300 it used to give out in the past, he said.

Combining with CSIR’s planned increase in the number of Junior Research Fellow (JRF) to 2,400 every year, the new cabinet decision will ensure that every year 3,000 students can carry out their doctoral research.

Currently, a CSIR-UGC junior research fellow receives Rs 12,000 per month whereas a senior research fellow gets Rs 14,000. Both receive an annual contingency of Rs 20,000.

This is set to change as the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has initiated a fresh proposal recommending Rs 17,500 as the JRF amount and SRFs expecting to receive more than Rs 20,000 per month. The amount of contingency will be enhanced.

However, senior faculty are concerned that the best doctorates will continue to leave India for post-doctoral research positions until India finds a way to absorb and retain Ph.D-holders in institution, universities, and colleges.

“Indian science will only improve when our best Ph.Ds remain and work here,” said Subhash Lakhotia, a senior biologist at the Banaras Hindu University. “Some of the most productive research emerges during the post-doctoral years,” he said.

Researchers believe poor faculty is one reason why India’s second-tier institutions have been unable to improve research productivity while top-ranking institutions have contributed a steady 30 per cent of research papers.

The CSIR officials said the increase in the number of applicants for its JRF exam— from 70,000 in 2007 to 87,000 in 2008, 116,000 during 2009 — is evidence of growing demand from students.

BACKGROUNDER :

Recognizing the need to identify and nurture young scientific talent who could be enrolled for Ph.d. programmes the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) launched a research fellowship scheme in 1983. In 1989, NET was recognized by UGC as pre-qualification for Lectureship and was renamed as CSIR-UGC National Eligibility Test for Junior Research Fellowship and Eligibility for Lectureship. Since 1990, NET is being conducted twice a year in the month of June and December.

NET is held across the country in 25 cities and at 125 exam centers in five subject areas viz. Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematical Sciences. Selection is made through two paper system.

Currently more than 1,50,000 students have been writing the NET each year. The CSIR-NET has established an enormous credibility in the country and it has become a bench mark for selecting candidates for pursing Ph.D. programme, appointment either as a lecturer or a project research fellow or for employment in various R&D organization all across the country.

In the recent times serious concern has been expressed by educationalist, scientists, policy markers etc. over declining interest of students to take up careers in basic sciences. There has been an emphasis on enlarging the pool of scientific manpower to contribute towards S&T development in the country which is the reliable benchmark to become a developed nation.
In order to achieve this goal focused efforts are required to be made to identify and nurture bright young students who can take up scientific research as a career. The present programme is one such focussed effort in this direction.

Cambridge announces scholarships

NEW DELHI : On January 12, 2009 the University of Cambridge announced a new scholarship programme for Indian students in honour of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Manmohan Singh Undergraduate Scholarship Programme starting from 2010 will provide full funding, covering fees and means-tested maintenance for undergraduate study in any subject at any of the colleges that are part of the university.

The scholarship programme is named after Dr Manmohan Singh because he graduated with a First in Economics from St. John’s College, Cambridge, UK in the late 1950s

The scholarship programme will be launched with gifts from Sir Evelyn and Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild through the Eranda Foundation and from the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company, Bharti Airtel, Vice-Chancellor of the university Alison Richard announced at a press conference here on January 12, 2009.

The fund will be underpinned by substantial funding from Cambridge Assessment, a department of the University and the parent of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE). CIE is the world’s largest provider of examinations for 14 to 19-year-olds, and an important participant in the development of India’s education provision. A 1.5 million pounds fund has been set up to support the Indian students; this includes a half million pound endowment in perpetuity.

As the programme develops, there are expected to be up to ten Manmohan Singh undergraduate scholars studying at the University at any one time. This initiative will enable more Indian students to study at Cambridge.

The Manmohan Singh Undergraduate Scholarships will complement the three Manmohan Singh Scholarships that were launched for post-graduate students at St John’s College, Cambridge, and were announced in New Delhi in November 2007. The £35,000 post-graduate scholarship covers all costs, including tuition, maintenance, and cost of living for Indian students to read for Ph.D & M.Phil degrees at St John’s College in areas such as science, technology and social sciences.

“The university is honoured that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is such a distinguished Cambridge alumnus, has agreed to lend his name to this important initiative. This is another great example of the breadth and depth of the Cambridge-India partnership,” said Prof. Richard.

“This scholarship will be a need-based programme. Interested students can apply to the university or any of the 28 colleges under it. Of the selected students, scholarships will be awarded on the basis of their financial aid need, which will be assessed by the Cambridge Overseas Trust,” she pointed out.

In a message released by the university on January 12, 2009, Dr. Singh said he was humbled by the honour and expressed confidence that the programme would not only help strengthen relations between the peoples of India and the U.K. but also serve “our shared objective of creating a better world based on equity and justice.”

Dr. Singh graduated from Cambridge with a First in Economics in the late 1950s. The university that has entered its 800th year of existence also launched three Manmohan Singh Scholarships for post-graduate students at St. John’s College, Cambridge, in 2007.

NEW YORK : St George’s University in Grenada (SUG), a prominent US university, will give half a million dollars worth of scholarship annually to students of Indian-origin for studying medicine.

The scholarship, to be jointly administered by the University and the United States based American Indian Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), will be given on the basis of merit to students who cannot afford medical education.

The University Chancellor Charles R Modica and Provost Allen H Pensick along with Sanku Rao, AAPI presidentand Sharad Lakhanpal, former AAPI president formally launched the scholarship programme recently at St George’s University campusin picturesque Grenada Islands in the Caribbean.

The scholarship is named in honour of the late CSP Rao, professor of Botany, Benaras Hindu University. The scholarship consists of full and partial financial aid to qualifying students.

It will be given for all four years of study on the basis ofacademic excellence and financial need, said Modica. “The scholarship applicants will be nominated and approved by a joint committee ofAAPI and University committee. The quantum of scholarship varies and depends onthe need.” Around 3000 students from 138 countries arenow studying MD programme under which students spend first two years studying basic medical sciences at Grenada campus and move on to the US or UK medical universities to complete clinical study and the four year medical degree requirements.

The UGC Fellowships

NEW DELHI : The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced a fellowship scheme for M.Phil/Ph.D scholars in Central universities.

In a communication addressed to the vice-chancellors of all the Central universities, the Secretary, UGC has conveyed the decision of the Commission to award a fellowship of Rs.3,000 and Rs.5,000 each to M.Phil and Ph.D students respectively with a contingency grant of Rs 10,000 per annum for the scholars doing research in Science subjects and Rs.8,000 per annum for the students doing research in Humanities and Social Sciences.

The Central universities have been advised to go for full coverage of the Scheme and to decide the actual number of fellowships and date of implementation of the scheme.