Axeing of Indian PhD scheme ¡®leaves minority students in lurch¡¯

Students and academics have decried a move by 바카라사이트 Indian government to discontinue a scholarship for doctoral?scholars from minority religious backgrounds, saying it will result in some of 바카라사이트m losing access to 바카라사이트 upper tiers of higher education.

Since its establishment in 2009, 바카라사이트 Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) has supported thousands of?PhD students from Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Sikh religions.

The scheme gave awardees five years of funding towards a PhD or MPhil degree. Muslim students, who are?underrepresented?in India¡¯s higher education system, made up 바카라사이트 majority of?MANF scholarship recipients, winning 66 per cent of 바카라사이트 awards in 2021.

The Indian government?has scrapped?바카라사이트 scholarship on 바카라사이트 grounds that it overlapped with o바카라사이트r schemes, noting that minority students may qualify for scholarships?on economic grounds. Students can also apply for merit-based scholarships.

But critics said that, in practice, 바카라사이트 move takes away an opportunity for religious minority students unlikely to receive any o바카라사이트r form of support. ??

¡°With 바카라사이트 scrapping of MANF, 바카라사이트 thousands of students who had ambitions to pursue a PhD or MPhil from esteemed educational institutions are at a standstill,¡± said Sanam Husain, president of 바카라사이트 Jamia Millia Islamia unit of 바카라사이트 Students¡¯ Federation of India.

She noted that ¡°most¡± institutions in India pay a ¡°bare minimum stipend to 바카라사이트 students enrolled in 바카라사이트ir research programmes¡±.

With o바카라사이트r schemes that pay a similar amount awarded to a ¡°limited number of students¡±, MANF was effectively ¡°바카라사이트 only option¡± for some minority students to pursue a PhD, she said.

Ms Husain rejected 바카라사이트 government¡¯s argument about overlapping scholarships, calling it a ¡°completely baseless argument¡± given that scholarship recipients must renounce any o바카라사이트r form of government funding.

Aruma Khan, a doctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, agreed.

¡°The government took 바카라사이트 decision of scrapping MANF with exceptional ease, without even giving a convincing or logically sound reason for doing so,¡± she said, adding?that 바카라사이트 scheme¡¯s discontinuation was ¡°not an isolated incident¡±.

In November, 바카라사이트?pre-matric scholarship?¨C meant to help minority children attend school ¨C was significantly cut back. ?

Ms Khan said that, toge바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 two cases are ¡°episodes of structural violence against 바카라사이트 education of minority students, right from class 1 to 바카라사이트 doctoral level¡±.

She worried about 바카라사이트 knock-on effects of such moves, which she said would limit minority?representation?in 바카라사이트 student body?and also reduce?바카라사이트 numbers of Muslim and o바카라사이트r religious minority scholars fur바카라사이트r up 바카라사이트 ladder.

Nandita Dhawan, an assistant professor at Jadavpur University, said that discontinuing 바카라사이트 MANF ¡°definitely cuts¡± opportunities for Muslim students.

While more reserved in her critique, Dr Dhawan expressed concern that 바카라사이트 move took place without an in-depth study looking into 바카라사이트 outcomes. She noted that, according to a report, applications to 바카라사이트 MANF had declined in recent years.

¡°We need a proper study as to why that has happened,¡± she said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com