NEW DELHI
Amid “delays” in the disbursement of Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) funds, several students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) and two MANF research scholars from minority communities submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Minority Affairs on Monday, demanding the “immediate release of pending dues”.
“It has come to our attention that most MANF scholars have not received their fellowship amounts since January 2025 and in many cases, since November 2024. Many scholars depend entirely on this fellowship fund to support their expenses, including room rent, food and essential academic needs,” the memorandum stated.
‘Vague assurance’
JNUSU president Nitish Kumar told The Hindu, “We [JNUSU members], along with two MANF scholars, met officials and submitted our memorandum. However, we received vague answers and were told that the issue would be looked into.”
When reached for comment, the Minority Affairs Ministry did not respond.
The memorandum added that “prolonged delays” have pushed many students into financial hardship, mental distress, and severely impacted their academic work.
‘Borrowing money’
A Buddhist scholar currently in his fifth year of PhD at JNU said on the condition of anonymity, “I have not received my funding for eight months now. It is difficult to stay in Delhi, and I cannot go back to my home town in the Northeast at the moment.” The scholar, who is supposed to receive ₹42,000 per month, has been borrowing money to make ends meet.
“The fellowship had been discontinued in 2022. But the government has ensured that no existing scholars will be impacted. We have not received any information regarding the delays,” the scholar added.
The memorandum also urged officials to “uphold the promise of inclusive access to higher education for students from minority communities”.
Published – June 17, 2025 01:51 am IST