Research students accuse TISS of not providing JRF scholarship funds

Mumbai: In the aftermath of receiving show-cause notices from the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), several research students - who are among the students protesting the institute’s decision to waive off financial aid to the socially disadvantaged - have allegedly not got funds for their junior research fellowship (JRF) scholarship for the past two months.

One such student said, “The institute is not signing our scholarship letter which will create huge trouble for us, as our families are not in a position to afford our livelihood in a city like Mumbai. We students have cleared national-level examinations so they are not in a position to stop the funds. Moreover, in the Rohith Vemula case too, his institute first stopped the JRF before removing him from the hostel.”

The government gives JRF to selected students who qualify in the national eligibility test (NET) examinations.

Since February this year, TISS students have been protesting the institute’s decision to waive off financial aid to socially disadvantaged students.

The Asian Age tried contacting the current (acting) director of TISS Mumbai Campus and the registrar, however both were unavailable for a comment. When contacted Prof. D. K Shahajan, the ex-dean of TISS, he said, “This is the rule of the institute of not approving scholarship if the students are under the scanner of any disciplinary committee. The rules laid by the University Grants Commission too state the same.”