The University Grants Commission (UGC) is learnt to be reviewing several schemes, including the non-NET fellowship and the Centres for the Study of Social Inclusion, before the establishment of the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhisthan (VBSA), the proposed apex regulatory body for higher education.
The VBSA seeks to replace the UGC, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
The UGC has been funding multiple schemes that include the Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion, Equal Opportunity Centre in colleges and universities, coaching schemes for SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities, programmes for persons with disabilities, fellowships for doctoral students, scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate students, travel grant for college teachers, Centres on Epoch Making Social Thinkers of India, residential coaching academies for minorities, SCs, STs and women, and non-NET fellowship.
The VBSA Bill, introduced in Parliament, seeks to transfer the rights and liabilities of the UGC, AICTE and the NCTE to the single regulatory body and the councils established under it. This means the schemes run by the three existing regulators will also be passed on to the VBSA or its councils.
Two official sources said the UGC had started reviewing the schemes to detect any shortcomings. The review is expected to be completed before the VBSA is set up.
The Centres for the Study of Social Inclusion are currently operational in 24 universities. They pursue research on caste discrimination, minorities and B.R. Ambedkar’s philosophy of social justice. Since 2017, the UGC has been approving continuation of these schemes on a yearly basis.
In the last eight years, eight such centres have been shut down in different universities.
N. Sukumar, a faculty member at Delhi University, said the areas of research conducted by these centres were in direct conflict with the social hierarchical order prescribed by the Manusmriti, a Hindu text that codified the caste system. In recent years, the government has been promoting teachings from the Manusmriti, which have been included in courses by some central universities. Sukumar said the government was not in favour of these centres.
A faculty member at a Centre for the Study of Social Inclusion said the UGC officials on Monday held a meeting to take stock of the activities at these centres. UGC secretary Manish R. Joshi asked representatives what they thought made these centres unique.
“It is quite possible some major changes may happen to these Centres for the Study of Social Inclusion. The government is already neglecting them. The renewal happens in April every year. But this year, the UGC did not renew the centres till September,” said a faculty member.
The UGC provides Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) to top NET (National Eligibility Test) scorers. Scholars not qualifying for the JRF but enrolled in central universities get the non-NET fellowship of around ₹8,000 per month.
Nudged by the government, the UGC had in 2015 decided to discontinue the non-NET fellowship. However, it had to discard the plan following protests by students.
The official source said there would be no change to the JRF scheme after the VBSA is set up.